UPDATE WITH STATEMENT FROM TURKISH VICE PRESIDENT; REVISES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE
By Muhammed Nuri Erdogan
ANKARA (AA) - Türkiye on Sunday welcomed the UK, Canada, and Australia’s decisions to officially recognize Palestine as a state.
In a statement on the Turkish social media platform NSosyal, Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz said broader recognition of Palestine “will be a strong response to attempts to eliminate the two-state solution through occupation and ethnic cleansing."
He added that for regional and global peace, "a stronger and more unified international response" is needed to what he described as genocide by the Israeli government and actions that undermine humanitarian values and international law.
Türkiye's communications director also welcomed the move on NSosyal, saying that countries recognizing Palestine and condemning Israel’s attacks on civilians in Gaza “are standing on the right side of history.”
Burhanettin Duran stressed that Türkiye believes the move will encourage other nations to follow suit and help Palestine gain the international recognition it deserves.
Duran said Türkiye will continue to support the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital and defend the "legitimate rights of the Palestinian people" on every platform.
The UK, Canada, and Australia on Sunday officially recognized Palestine as a state ahead of the UN General Assembly.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry welcomed the move, calling it a “courageous decision.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement that he will respond after returning from the US, adding that a “Palestinian state will not be established” and that he will continue strengthening settlements in the West Bank.