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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Wednesday that Türkiye will not allow a repeat of past conflicts in Syria if diplomatic efforts fail, while also voicing strong support for Palestinians in Gaza during the opening of parliament’s new legislative year.
“We strongly support Syria’s territorial integrity. We oppose plans to divide Syria,” Erdogan told lawmakers in Ankara. “If diplomatic efforts go unanswered, Türkiye’s position and policy are clear. Türkiye will not allow a deja vu to occur in Syria.”
Turning to the war in Gaza, Erdogan said Türkiye would continue to defend Palestinians and oppose Israel’s military campaign.
“We never abandoned the brave sons of Gaza who heroically resisted invading forces that attacked their land with the world’s most modern weapons,” he said.
Since October 2023, Israel’s offensive has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, according to Gaza health authorities. The bombardment has devastated the enclave, creating famine and making it uninhabitable.
Erdogan said Parliament had passed the “Gaza test with pride, in a manner worthy of our history and national character,” adding: “Allah willing, we will continue to fearlessly defend the rights of Palestine and our first qibla, al-Quds (Jerusalem), until our last breath.”
“Bringing Palestinians together with the lasting peace they deserve is first the duty of the Islamic world to Gaza, then the global community’s,” he added.
Erdogan was welcomed with a ceremony marking the start of the fourth legislative year of parliament’s 28th term. The General Assembly convened under Speaker Numan Kurtulmus.
Extensive security measures were in place for the opening. The assembly hall was searched by teams with a bomb-sniffing dog, and flowers were placed on lawmakers’ desks.
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