Israeli occupation of Palestine ‘main cause of instability’ in region: Turkish FM

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories is the main cause of instability in West Asia, warning that tensions will continue to escalate in the region unless the issue is resolved.

Fidan made the remarks at a joint news conference with his Egyptian counterpart Salem Shoukry in the Turkish city of Istanbul on Saturday.

“The occupation of Palestinian territories by Israel and the unconditional support of the West for this are one of the main reasons for the instability problem" in the region, Fidan said.

"If this crisis is not resolved properly, if Palestinians are not given the state, independence, and sovereignty they deserve, such crises will continue to escalate in our region," he added.

The Turkish foreign minister went on to say that the Palestine issue may trigger global issues, stressing that “cooperation between Egypt and Turkey is extremely beneficial for our peoples and region.”

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Fidan further noted that the first priority of the international community should be ending Israel's occupation in Palestine and a two-state solution, emphasizing that "Any development that could distract us from this fact should be ignored."

Shoukry, for his part, said, “We must prevent the displacement of Palestinians and work to establish an independent Palestinian state.”

He also stressed the need to open Israeli crossings with the besieged Gaza Strip to deliver humanitarian aid, stressing that the “failure to do so violates international law.”

The Egyptian foreign minister further noted that since the beginning of the Israeli war in Gaza, Israeli hurdles persisted, adding that Egypt has “engaged international allies in setting up Gaza center for aid distribution.”

The latest development comes as Israeli’s genocidal war against Gaza is still raging after seven months.

Israel launched the brutal campaign in the Gaza Strip on October 7 after a surprise attack by the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas in retaliation for decades of Israeli atrocities.

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The occupying regime has blocked water, food, and electricity to Gaza.

Since then the Israeli regime forces have killed more than 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children.

The Tel Aviv regime has imposed a “complete siege” on the territory, cutting off fuel, electricity, food and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there.

In January, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an interim ruling that ordered the Tel Aviv regime to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

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