Erdogan calls on ECO to raise voice against Israeli actions in Gaza

Tashkent, The Gulf Observer: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has once again called upon the world to be on the right side of history, as Israel’s relentless attacks on Palestine’s Gaza continue after a month.

“The world remains silent. The United States and the West are all silent,” Erdogan said, addressing the 16th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization on Thursday.

He noted that almost 11,000 people have been killed in Gaza in the last month, 73 percent of which are women and children.

Stressing that Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is still continuing their military campaign, Erdogan added: “The Israeli administration continues to bomb schools, mosques, churches, hospitals, and universities, infringing on all the values of humanity.”

Türkiye has been a leading actor in aid efforts, and has delivered 10 aircraft carrying over 230 tons of humanitarian aid bound for Gaza to El Arish Airport with the assistance of Egypt, he said.

“If we, as the Economic Cooperation Organization, do not raise our voices together as Muslims today, when will we raise them?” Erdogan told the 16th summit of the economic grouping in Uzbekistan’s capital Tashkent.

He called the Israeli attacks “fanaticism” that “justifies the killing of children” and criticised the West’s policy toward the Israel-Palestine conflict.

“Western countries, which constantly talk about human rights and freedoms and democracy, watch all these Israeli massacres from afar,” he said.

These countries and organisations cannot even call for a “ceasefire,” he added.

“Those who turn a blind eye to the burning of our holy book, the Quran, under the pretext of freedom of thought, cannot even tolerate the Palestinian flag.”

Since October 7, Israel has killed more than 10,500 Palestinians in a relentless bombardment of Gaza — home to 2.3 million. About 40 percent of those killed are children, according to officials.