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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan marked International Human Rights Day on December 10 with a message emphasizing that the genocide in Gaza, where over 70,000 Gazans have lost their lives, demonstrates severe damage to the values cited in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
"The genocide in which over 70,000 Gazans have lost their lives is a clear indication that the values mentioned in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights have been severely damaged," Erdogan said in his message on International Human Rights Day.
On the 77th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Erdogan congratulated every member of the human family, particularly the Turkish nation, on International Human Rights Day.
Erdogan committed to eliminating terrorism that has cost thousands of Turkish lives, saying, "At the same time, we will determinedly take steps to eternally free our nation from the scourge of terrorism, which has cost thousands of our people their lives for nearly half a century and has disrupted our progress toward prosperity and stability."
The Turkish president also outlined Türkiye's vision for the region, noting, "We will first reach the goal of a terrorism-free Türkiye, and then, Allah willing, we will definitely achieve the ideal of a 'terrorism-free region' centered on development, solidarity, cooperation, and peace."
"We are determined in this, we are patient, and we are sincere," he added.
President Erdogan outlined the path to just and lasting peace in Gaza, saying, "The only path to just and lasting peace in Gaza is the strengthening of the ceasefire established with our country's contribution and the implementation of the two-state solution model in the shortest time possible."
Erdogan stated, "This genocide, in which over 70,000 Gazans have lost their lives, is a clear indication that the values mentioned in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights have been severely damaged."
"Gaza, transformed into a massive pile of rubble, must be rebuilt as soon as possible. This is the common responsibility of all humanity toward the Palestinians," he added.
Erdogan also noted that Israel continues to demonstrate lawlessness in Gaza.
"However, Israel is showing disregard for law and rules here as well, violating the ceasefire with attacks in which it has killed at least 370 Palestinians since October 11," he stated.
"It is critical for the international community to increase pressure on Israel to prevent Gaza from being dragged back into conflict. Likewise, our peace- and dialogue-focused initiatives continue with the aim of stopping the flow of brother blood in Sudan and restoring the country to an environment of trust and stability," Erdogan noted.
The Turkish president later stated that this important document, representing humanity's shared values and achievements, maintains its characteristic as a global commitment safeguarding the rights every individual possesses from birth.
However, Erdogan drew attention to the fact that the rules and principles contained in the Declaration are being violated in many regions of the world, and concepts such as peace and justice are continuously losing altitude.
"The atrocities we face in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories continue to exist, unfortunately, despite all the efforts of the international community," Erdogan said.
Erdogan stressed that fighting cultural racism, Islamophobia, and xenophobia is of vital importance in protecting the principles in the Declaration.
President Erdogan emphasized that ignoring hate crimes and statements, failing to apply necessary measures and sanctions against them, and even often encouraging them under the pretext of freedom of thought, is never acceptable.
"Türkiye, with the strong legacy we inherited from our history, without making distinctions based on language, race, or origin, will continue to defend human rights and dignity in our emotional and cultural geography as well as throughout the world, contributing at the highest level to global peace and security," he said.
Erdogan concluded with a message of solidarity, saying: "With these thoughts, I congratulate our nation, our brothers, and all humanity on International Human Rights Day on Dec. 10, and I sincerely wish that this important day will bring peace, tranquility, stability, and justice to the entire world, especially Gaza, Palestine, and Sudan."
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