Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan renewed his call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, where Palestinians have been subjected to genocide by Israel for more than a year.
This came in a speech he delivered during his participation on Monday in the “Social Inclusion and Combating Hunger and Poverty” session held on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Erdogan said in this regard: “In light of the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, I renew my call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire.”
He added that the risk of famine in the Gaza Strip due to the Israeli blockade “has reached a catastrophic level” according to international classifications.
He pointed out that 96 percent of the population of the Strip, or more than two million people, cannot access healthy food and clean water.
He stressed that Turkey has provided more than 86,000 tons of aid to the Gaza Strip since October 2023, and that Ankara’s aid to Lebanon has exceeded 1,300 tons.
Erdogan explained that with the increase in Israeli attacks and the approach of winter, the situation of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip is deteriorating day by day.
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On a global level, the Turkish President pointed out that the efforts made to achieve the “Sustainable Development Goals for 2030” adopted by the United Nations General Assembly 9 years ago have not yet yielded the desired results.
He pointed out that one in 10 people in the world suffers from hunger.
He stated that Turkey represents a legacy that sees it as its duty to help anyone in need anywhere in the world within its capabilities.
He stressed that Turkey has been allocating nearly 1 percent of its national income to humanitarian aid since 2015.
He stressed that civilians whose lives are at risk in the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, especially in Gaza, should not be left to face their fate alone.
The Turkish President referred to the “Zero Waste” project led by his wife, Emine Erdogan, and said in this regard: “The project aims to prevent environmental pollution and spread a culture of saving, and it quickly became a global movement.”
He added: “March 30 has been declared as World Zero Waste Day by the United Nations. I believe that the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty should include reducing food waste and the Zero Waste Initiative among its priorities.”
He stressed Turkey’s readiness to cooperate to create a world where every child, every young person and every elderly person has sufficient and healthy food.
