Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan used his address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York to accuse Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza and to demand urgent global action to end the conflict.
Speaking to world leaders on Tuesday, Erdogan described the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave as catastrophic, citing widespread starvation, mass displacement, and relentless bombardments.
The Turkish leader displayed photographs of emaciated children at food distribution centres, families queuing for aid, and scenes of destruction from Israel’s two-year campaign.
“A genocide is continuing in Gaza,” Erdogan declared. “Even as we meet, innocent people are dying.”
He warned that ongoing atrocities risk fuelling a new wave of anti-Semitism worldwide, and insisted that silence in the face of such suffering amounted to complicity.
Calling for an immediate ceasefire, Erdogan said those responsible for what he termed the “genocide crew” must be held accountable before the international community.
He accused powerful nations of turning a blind eye to the crisis and urged Western governments to reconsider their stance on Palestine.
His remarks came shortly after US President Donald Trump denounced recent recognitions of a Palestinian state by European powers as a “reward” to Hamas for what he described as “horrible atrocities.” The sharp contrast in tone underscored the widening diplomatic rift over how to address the conflict.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, addressing the Assembly in the same session, warned of a perilous global moment. Drawing parallels with the post-Second World War era, he said the world now faced a stark choice between peace and war, law and lawlessness, cooperation and conflict.
The speeches set the stage for a fraught week of diplomacy as global leaders confront the Gaza crisis amid deepening divisions.
Want me to make this sharper with more British newspaper cadence (shorter paras, clipped phrasing, harder lead)?
