ANKARA – Turkey’s president on Sunday reiterated his country’s support forPalestine as the Muslim world celebrates Eid al-Fitr, the holiday markingthe end of the holy month of Ramadan.
”We will not allow the Palestinian lands to be offered to anyone else,”Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a video message on Twitter addressed to USMuslims.
“I would like to reiterate that al-Quds Al-Sharif, the holy site of threereligions and our first kiblah, is a red line for all Muslims worldwide,”Erdogan said.
“It is clear that the global order has long failed to produce justice,peace, serenity, and order,” he said.
“Last week we witnessed that a new occupation and annexation project, whichdisregards Palestine’s sovereignty and international law, was put intoaction by Israel,” he added.
Israel has said it will annex parts of the West Bank on July 1, as agreedto between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz, the head ofthe Blue and White party.
The plan has drawn outrage worldwide, and especially sharp condemnation inTurkey.
The West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is seen as occupied territoryunder international law, thus making all Jewish settlements there – as wellas the planned annexation – illegal.
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Erdogan hails Eid for US Muslims
Turning to the holiday, Erdogan said: “I congratulate my American Muslimbrothers and sisters’ Eid al-Fitr on behalf of the citizens of the Republicof Turkey.”
“I pray to my Lord that these holy days may herald an era of peace, safety,and serenity for American Muslims, the entire Islamic world, andhumankind,” Erdogan said.
“The [coronavirus] pandemic has shown that there are no hierarchies orprivileges among any region, nation, or country in the world,” he added.
“It is only through global cooperation that the problems caused bydiseases, various conflicts, wars, migration, racism, Islamophobia,terrorism, and poverty that threaten humankind can be overcome,” Erdogansaid.
“Turkey has endeavored to respond to all countries, including the UnitedStates, who asked for our support in the fight against the globalpandemic,” he said, referring to the medical and aid supplies for thepandemic that Turkey sent to scores of countries worldwide.
