FM Hakan Fidan slams his Austrian counterpart: Israel is an occupying power

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan delivers a strong message during a joint press conference with Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg in Ankara underlining Israel’s role as an occupying power in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg held a joint press conference after their meeting in Ankara, Turkiye on Tuesday.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan underscored Israel’s status as an occupying power in the Palestine-Israel issue, emphasizing that the ongoing conflict in the region is not a sudden eruption but a result of prolonged occupation.

Speaking after his meeting with Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg, Fidan delivered a powerful address at a joint press conference held at the ministry.

‘Israel is an occupying power’

He condemned Israel’s systematic killing of thousands of innocent Palestinians over seven months as a grave crime against humanity, labeling it as an attempt at genocide.

Fidan reacting to his counterpart’s remarks on Hamas said, “Israel is an occupying power. It is not right to describe Hamas as a terrorist organization. Hamas is an armed resistance movement defending its territory.”

Fidan acknowledged the historical context influencing European attitudes, particularly regarding events like World War II, but urged a focus on present injustices. He emphasized that just as the wrongs of the past must be acknowledged, so too must the wrongs of today.

“Just as it was wrong yesterday to kill innocent Jews in concentration camps, it is just as wrong today to kill innocent Palestinian children and mothers with massive bombs while they sleep in their beds at night,” Foreign Minister Fidan added.

Call for principled action

Directing his message to European counterparts, Fidan called for action based on principles rather than affiliations. He stressed the importance of condemning civilian killings and supporting the oppressed, regardless of the perpetrator.

“Let’s look at what is being done, not who is doing it. It is the killing of civilians that we must condemn. What we should stand with is the oppressed and the killed. Let’s move from here. Otherwise, if the oppressed in history has become the oppressor today, excusing his oppression today because he was oppressed in history will lead us to the wrong path. Therefore, we need to look at the activity itself rather than the actor, we need to look at the movement itself,” Fidan said.

Fidan reiterated that the international community has failed to halt Israel’s ongoing occupation and land confiscation, leading to the continued suffering of Palestinians.

In conclusion, Fidan highlighted Türkiye’s condemnation of civilian killings and called for international intervention to address Israel’s systematic violence against Palestinians, characterizing it as a crime against humanity and an attempt at genocide.

“Everyone knew that there would be an explosion and this explosion happened on October 7. Of course, on October 7, we condemned the killing of civilians as Türkiye. This is our principle. But in the same way, Israel’s subsequent systematic killing of thousands of innocent Palestinians, not just for one day but for seven months, displacing millions of people and making a whole settlement uninhabitable, is a crime against humanity. This is an attempted genocide, an act of genocide,” Fidan stated.

‘Türkiye supports Ukraine’s sovereignty’

Regarding the war in Ukraine, which began in February 2022, Fidan reiterated Türkiye’s determination to support Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity in his talks with his Austrian counterpart.

Ankara has consistently urged Kyiv and Moscow to end hostilities and resolve the conflict through diplomatic negotiations.

In March 2022, Türkiye brokered a meeting between the foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine in the Mediterranean city of Antalya, which yielded important results, including an important grain agreement and the exchange of prisoners of war.

More cooperation in the Balkans

Fidan also addressed renewed tensions in the Balkans, emphasizing the need for increased cooperation between Türkiye and Austria in efforts to find solutions to issues in the region.

It is clear that Türkiye and Austria need more cooperation in efforts for a solution to issues in the Balkans,” Fidan pointed out.

Source: AA