Turkey and Iran on Wednesday called for a regional conference to prevent the expansion of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.
“We do not want the human tragedy in Gaza to turn into a war that affects the region’s countries” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said in a joint media appearance with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian who urged that the meeting take place “as soon as possible.”
“We continue working for first a cease-fire then permanent peace” Fidan told reporters as Israeli strikes in besieged Gaza continued relentlessly for the fourth week. “A solution is a must that will be accepted by Palestine and the region’s countries” he added.
He reiterated that his country was prepared to “take responsibility and be guarantor” in the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.
The Turkish minister was critical of the West’s stance on the conflict. He slammed “different standards” for Ukraine and Palestine stressing that “if we want a fair world we must always act with integrity and consistency.”
“But the European Union doesn’t want to hear the word ‘cease-fire’ due to its position next to the U.S. which Israel determines” Fidan argued. The Turkish minister stressed that the West “lost its morally superior” stance and “exhausted all excuses for oppression (by Israel).”
Pointing to pro-Palestine protests worldwide including in Western countries he said the international community must now focus on what it can do for permanent peace in Palestine. “We don’t want the humanitarian drama in Gaza to evolve into a war that will affect the regional countries. For this reason we invite all actors in and outside the region to promote a permanent fair peace” Fidan said.
For his part Abdollahian said Israel the US and “supporters of war crimes will be responsible if the situation gets out of control as long as the war is not prevented.”
“The Zionist regime continues massacring without discrimination using all prohibited weapons in violation of international law” he said.
Abdollahian said consequences would be harsh if attacks in Gaza continued and those endorsing this war “these crimes” would pay a heavy price. He said the U.S. directly “commanded” Israel’s attacks and through CENTCOM was trying to expand the war.
The Iranian foreign minister also called on regional countries to launch a comprehensive boycott against Israel. “They should not send fuel to Israel and cut off ties with the Zionist regime” he said.
“Israel should turn back from the wrong path it is walking and end the violence. Israel should understand that you cannot maintain security by violence and you cannot get anywhere by shedding more blood and ignoring Palestinians” Fidan said.
“Israel and some of its allies think that elimination of Palestinian resistance groups armed elements they see as a threat will bring a permanent solution but this will never bring them permanent security” he underlined.
The Israeli army has intensified its air and ground assaults on the Palestinian enclave of Gaza since Oct. 7. More than 10000 people are reported to have been killed or reported missing since then many of whom are children and women.
