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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday renewed his call for countries to recognize the State of Palestine, writing in an article for Newsweek that lasting peace in the Middle East requires a sovereign Palestinian state based on 1967 borders.
“Our call to the states of the world is clear: Recognize the State of Palestine,” Erdogan wrote. “Indeed, recognition of Palestine is the most powerful response to occupation, blockade, and oppression.”
He said a just peace is achievable only through the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. “We congratulate the countries that recently announced their decision in support of this effort, and we expect them to remain firm in their stance and translate their commitments into concrete steps,” he added.
Erdogan arrived in the United States on Sunday to address the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly. He told reporters before leaving for New York that his speech Tuesday would highlight “the humanitarian disaster and atrocities in Gaza.”
“What distinguishes this year’s General Assembly from its predecessors,” he said, “is that many countries will announce their recognition of the State of Palestine.”
Britain, Canada, Australia and Portugal have formally recognized Palestine, bringing the total number of UN member states to do so to 153. Eleven other countries — including Malta, Luxembourg, France, Belgium and Armenia — have said they plan to extend recognition during the 80th session.
Although the United States denied Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas a visa to attend in person, the General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted a resolution allowing him to address the summit via video link.
Palestine has held non-member observer state status at the U.N. since 2012. The Security Council recently voted to allow Palestine’s observer to participate in its discussions on the occupied Palestinian territories. Still, full U.N. membership requires Security Council approval, where the U.S. holds veto power.
World leaders are gathering in New York for the General Assembly’s high-level debate amid global divisions and multiple conflicts. Discussions are expected to be dominated by Israel’s war on Gaza, which Erdogan and other leaders describe as genocidal.
Since Oct. 7, 2023, more than 65,300 Palestinians — most of them women and children — have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza, according to Palestinian health authorities. The war has displaced hundreds of thousands and imposed a blockade on humanitarian aid. At least 442 Palestinians, including 147 children, have died from famine, U.N. agencies say.
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