Turkish Foreign Minister, Ahmad Davutoglu, stated Sunday that there can be no peace and stability in the Middle East without a fair solution to the Palestinian/Israeli conflict that ensures the legitimate rights of the Palestinian People.The Turkish Anadolu News Agency reported that Davutoglu stated, during the opening ceremony of the 21st Istanbul International Congress of Muslim Communities, that “without resolving the Palestinian issue, peace cannot prevail in the Middle East”.
Davutoglu further stated that a US veto against Palestine’s Membership at the United Nations is considered an attempt to prevent peace from prevailing in the region.
As for the situation in Syria, the Turkish FM affirmed the need for democracy, adding that “Turkey wants for Syria what its wishes for Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen”.
He also stated that the International Community is facing a huge transitional era, adding that international economic issues must be resolved, and that “the structure of the international system, and current policies, must be revised”.
Furthermore, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister, Baker Bozdag, stated during the conference that “Muslims should not be indifferent to what is happening in the countries around them”, and that the “Islamic World is facing serious issues, such as hunger, poverty and terrorism”.
Bozdag further stated that “Islam is a religion of peace, a religion that guarantees the rights of women and children, guarantees equality, and solidarity”.
The once strong and normalized relationship between Israel and Turkey was badly damaged when, on 31 May 2010, Israeli commandos boarded and attacked the MV Marmara, a Turkish ship which was part of the Freedom Flotilla, killing nine Turkish peace activists, and wounding dozens more.
Sheikh Raed Salah, head of the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement in the 1948 territory, and Arab Member of Israeli Knesset, Hanin Zoaby, were both on-board the ship and were also detained the by Israeli Navy. Several fundamentalist Jewish members of the Israeli Knesset are calling for the prosecution of MK Zoaby for “treason”.
The ships were heading to the besieged and impoverished Gaza Strip to deliver urgently needed medical supplies, food and other essentials missing in Gaza due to Israel’s illegal siege that, among other things, has led to the death of over 500 sick patients since 2007.
