Türkiye and Egypt strengthen alliance, advocate for Palestinian statehood

Türkiye and Egypt have solidified their partnership through a joint declaration on Wednesday calling for greater international recognition of Palestinian statehood, addressing a range of pressing regional issues. The declaration follows the inaugural Türkiye-Egypt High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council held on Wednesday.

Central to the declaration is a firm stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Both nations reiterated their support for the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the 1967 borders.

The declaration also underscored the Palestinian people’s right of return and criticized Israel’s ongoing actions in Gaza, condemning what it termed as “flagrant” violations of International Law and International Humanitarian Law, particularly the targeting of civilians and infrastructure over the past 11 months.

Türkiye and Egypt jointly called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, the release of hostages and detainees, and the unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid throughout the Gaza Strip. The two countries expressed their commitment to coordinating efforts to address the humanitarian crisis and advocated for international solidarity in the reconstruction of Gaza.

The declaration also voiced concern over Israel’s activities in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, condemning illegal settlements, inflammatory rhetoric from settlers, and military actions against Palestinian cities. The statement urged the international community to bolster the Palestinian National Authority’s capacity to serve its people and counteract Israel’s restrictive policies.

Beyond the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the declaration touched on broader regional stability. Türkiye and Egypt reaffirmed their support for Iraq’s sovereignty and ongoing development efforts. They also called for a UN-facilitated political process in Libya to preserve the country’s security and unity.

Addressing the ongoing conflict in Sudan, the two nations expressed concern over the resulting humanitarian crisis and endorsed diplomatic efforts for a peaceful resolution. They also reiterated their commitment to Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2254, while stressing the importance of continued humanitarian aid and development efforts for the Syrian people.