Türkiye’s parliament speaker calls for suspension of Israel’s UN membership at G20

Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus sparked global discussion at the G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit in Brazil, calling for the suspension of Israel’s membership in the United Nations. His statements marked a critical stance on the ongoing humanitarian crises and conflicts in Gaza and other regions worldwide.

“It is time to discuss the suspension of Israel’s United Nations membership,” Kurtulmus stated, highlighting what he described as persistent violations of international law and U.N. resolutions in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon. He referenced the “state terror” affecting women and children, leaving them vulnerable to hunger, disease, and violence.

Kurtulmus argued that crises in Gaza, Ukraine, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Yemen signify issues of global concern, impacting fundamental human rights on an international scale. “Injustice occurring anywhere in the world deeply wounds the shared conscience of humanity,” he asserted, framing the need for global accountability.

Kurtulmus criticized Israel’s recent declaration of U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres as “persona non grata” and attacks against organizations like UNIFIL and UNRWA. He claimed these actions underscore a need to question the efficacy of the United Nations itself. Drawing a comparison with the global response to apartheid-era South Africa, he stated, “Countries united under the United Nations must again align around the greater good, as they did then, and stand up against Israel.”