Turkish rockstar harshly criticizes Netanyahu at UN conference

Turkish rock star Haluk Levent harshly criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the genocide in Gaza at the 2024 U.N. Civil Society Conference in Nairobi

Haluk Levent, founder and president of the charity organization AHBAP and a Turkish rock star, criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the 2024 U.N. Civil Society Conference in Nairobi on Thursday for the genocide in Gaza.

Levent denounced Israel’s heinous actions in Gaza and conveyed his disapproval directly to Netanyahu, stating, “I bring greetings from my beautiful country, Türkiye. Today, I am here not only as a rock artist but also as the founding president of the charity organization AHBAP. I came here to share some of our projects with you and make some proposals, but this morning, I woke up to the news that over 600,000 children in Gaza are under a serious threat. We have been trying to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, but we have encountered many obstacles. Additionally, as you know, more than 100 UN workers have lost their lives there.”

Levent added further, “How can anyone justify the deaths of over 10,000 children? I unequivocally condemn the Israeli government’s actions and the resulting humanitarian crisis. I stand in solidarity with students protesting the war in Gaza worldwide and the anti-war Jewish community.”

Reflecting on his recent speech, he recounted, “During the program, I was mindful of ongoing meetings but felt compelled to speak out. We highlighted our humanitarian work to the UN. I was asked to speak about AHBAP, but I saw the harrowing statistics from the World Health Organization stating that 600,000 children are at risk of death at the Rafah Border Crossing.”

“I asked myself, ‘Haluk, what can you do? You have this opportunity. Let the whole world hear.’ I spoke out; of course, I said more than that. The UN needs to be even more independent. I had many things to say, but the lady tried to cut me off. Almost everyone was applauding me. They were not expecting such a speech. Journalists from all over the world asked questions. I am ready to do whatever is needed for the Palestinian people. I have also made songs in the past for Palestine.”

AHBAP Charity Organization

AHBAP is a Türkiye-based nongovernmental organization founded by Levent that focuses on solidarity and cooperation. Levent gained recognition by growing his social media following through efforts to unite people and organizations for charitable purposes in Türkiye.

Source: Newsroom