The United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights is being violated in ongoing regional conflicts, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Monday, marking its 77th anniversary.
Erdoğan highlighted grave breaches of fundamental rights, particularly the right to life, criticizing Israel's actions in Gaza and the ousted Baath regime in Syria.
He accused the international community of failing to respond effectively in both cases.
“Israel’s war crimes and acts of genocide committed recklessly in Gaza for two years, in full view of the entire world, are the clearest evidence of this," he said after a Cabinet meeting in Ankara.
Erdoğan underscored Türkiye's commitment to peace in affected regions.
"Türkiye, with its state and people, has taught the world a lesson in human rights through its peace- and justice-oriented efforts in Gaza, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, Libya, in short, in all regions soaked in blood and tears," he added.
'Double standarts'
Erdoğan also pointed to Türkiye's 90 percent compliance rate with European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rulings, surpassing the Council of Europe average.
He criticized double standards against Türkiye and vowed to strengthen the justice system.
"We see that those who harshly criticize Türkiye on this issue remain silent about many countries that have failed to implement ECHR rulings for years. These same circles also show no reaction to the fact that Israel, which has killed 270 journalists in the Gaza genocide, ranks ahead of Türkiye and Palestine in the so-called Press Freedom Index," Erdoğan said.
"They see no problem or contradiction in this distorted picture. Yet when it comes to Türkiye, fairness disappears, objectivity collapses, and ideological blinders replace impartiality."
"We will, of course, not pay heed to this. We will continue with determination to strengthen our justice system," he said.
