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Cavusoglu: Human Rights Council to form independent committee on Gaza

May 18, 2018 at 2:22 am

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu attends the meeting of Turkish Heritage Organisation in New York, United States on 20 September, 2017 [Cem Özdel/Anadolu Agency]

Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, said, Thursday, that the International Human Rights Council will meet on Friday in Geneva to form of an independent commission of inquiry into the massacres committed by Israel against the Palestinians.

In an interview with Turkey’s official TRT news channel, Çavuşoğlu stressed the need for an independent commission to investigate Israel’s crimes against humanity, pointing out that the Israeli government must be held accountable before the law. “Turkey’s position on the Palestinian issue is firm and will not change,” he said.

He pointed out that Ankara’s defence of the Palestinians alone is not enough. Suggesting that the United Nations should play an active role in defending the rights of the Palestinians. As for Turkey’s efforts towards the recent events in the Gaza Strip, Çavuşoğlu said:

“President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Binali Yildirim and I, have had extensive contacts with our counterparts in the Islamic world and elsewhere, and the main goal of this diplomatic move is to draw the world’s attention to the Palestinian cause … I know that Trump made the decision to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem alone or with the support of a few of his surroundings, and I understand very well that many ministers in his government, headed by former Foreign Secretary Rex Tillerson, were opposed to this move.”

Read: A new crisis in Turkey-Israel relations

He went on and said, “there are many injured, and they can be treated in Egypt as well. There is no difference. They should be transferred to hospitals in Turkey or in the nearest place. We are ready for this, but there is an administration (Israel) that is blocking this, unfortunately it is inhumane.”

As far as the issue of the injured in Gaza is concerned, Çavuşoğlu said that Turkey is doing its best to bring them to Turkey, but Israel is obstructing these attempts.