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Erdogan says war criminals belong in courtrooms, not at UN rostrum

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech during the closing program of the 21st MUSIAD Expo International Trade Fair and the 29th International Business Forum at the Istanbul Expo Center in Istanbul, Türkiye, on September 26, 2026. (AA Photo)
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech during the closing program of the 21st MUSIAD Expo International Trade Fair and the 29th International Business Forum at the Istanbul Expo Center in Istanbul, Türkiye, on September 26, 2026. (AA Photo)
September 26, 2026 04:23 PM GMT+03:00

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that “war criminals” belong in courtrooms rather than at the U.N. rostrum, stressing that those committing genocide must be held accountable.

“War criminals belong not at the U.N. rostrum, but in courtrooms where they will answer for the crimes they have committed and the blood they have shed,” Erdogan said at the closing program of the 21st MUSIAD EXPO International Trade Fair and 29th International Business Forum in Istanbul.

“If those committing genocide are not held accountable before justice and history, the same atrocities will happen again,” he warned.

Erdogan reiterated Türkiye’s support for Palestinians, saying, "The Palestinian people are not alone or abandoned.”

“Our sisters and brothers in Gaza are not alone in their quest for rights and justice,” he said.

“We will continue, to the best of our ability, to tell the truth and be the voice of the oppressed,” he added.

Erdogan said the region with Türkiye at its center is experiencing a “full-blown storm of crises,” while the global system is facing an impasse in terms of “legitimacy, representation and justice.”

An infographic titled "Around 70 countries protest Netanyahu at UN General Assembly" created in Ankara, Türkiye on September 25, 2026. (AA Graphics)
An infographic titled "Around 70 countries protest Netanyahu at UN General Assembly" created in Ankara, Türkiye on September 25, 2026. (AA Graphics)

Erdogan points to Türkiye's economic growth

Turning to the economy, Erdogan said Türkiye has recorded uninterrupted growth for the past 24 quarters and is currently the world’s 16th-largest and Europe’s sixth-largest economy.

He said the number of Turkish exporting companies increased from 33,000 in 2002 to 168,000 in 2025.

“With the new Medium-Term Program we announced 20 days ago, we will continue resolutely in line with our sustainable and balanced growth targets,” Erdogan said.

September 26, 2026 04:28 PM GMT+03:00
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