Ankara – FiMED

Türkiye rejected the accusations leveled by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against Türkiye and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, describing them as «desperate and empty attempts» to cover up what it called «genocide» in the Gaza Strip, as well as Israeli operations in the occupied West Bank, Lebanon, Syria and elsewhere.

This came in a statement delivered by a Turkish diplomat holding the rank of third secretary at the Foreign Ministry, speaking on behalf of Türkiye at the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York, in response to Netanyahu's remarks.

The statement said Ankara «categorically rejects» the accusations directed at Türkiye and Erdoğan, describing them as "baseless and malicious".

Ankara: the delegations' walkout is a political message

The statement addressed the walkout by a large number of delegations from the General Assembly hall during Netanyahu's speech, saying the step was «not an insignificant gesture» and represented, in Ankara's view, "a strong diplomatic condemnation".

The statement said the delegations' walkout reflects, from Türkiye's perspective, declining international trust in Netanyahu's rhetoric and rejection of his government's policies.

It added that Israel faces, according to the Turkish statement, growing international isolation, pointing to the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court against Netanyahu on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Türkiye: facts cannot be hidden by propaganda

The statement accused Israel of killing civilians, destroying homes, hospitals and schools, and obstructing the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, saying these acts cannot be erased through political rhetoric or propaganda.

It said Netanyahu's accusations against Türkiye and Erdoğan cannot, according to the Turkish position, divert attention from the war in Gaza and developments in the occupied West Bank, Lebanon and Syria.

The statement stressed that «personal attacks and lies» cannot change what it called the «facts» related to the war and regional developments.

Ankara reaffirms its commitment to the two-state solution

Türkiye renewed its support for the two-state solution, affirming that it stands for the establishment of an independent, sovereign and territorially contiguous Palestinian state on the basis of the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The statement said Türkiye continues to support efforts to achieve peace, in contrast to what it described as the «war, destruction and instability» emanating from Israel.

The Turkish response followed Netanyahu's speech to the UN General Assembly, in which he addressed Türkiye and Erdoğan along with the war in Gaza, the Palestinian cause and a number of regional files.

Netanyahu's speech saw delegations walk out of the hall, a scene Israeli and Arab media focused on in their coverage of the speech, while other delegations remained in the hall.