Minister Tunç slams Israel’s actions as organizational, not sovereign
Minister Tunç: Israel acts like an organization, not a state
Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç attended the session of the 5th Inter-Parliamentary Jerusalem Platform Conference held today, where the issues of Israel’s crimes against humanity in Palestine and the independence of Palestine were discussed. Speaking at the program held in a hotel in Istanbul, Minister Tunç emphasized that 600 parliamentarians from 80 different countries participated in the meetings and touched upon the importance of these meetings in announcing the crimes against humanity in Palestine to the world. Stating that 34 thousand Palestinians, including 15 thousand children, have been murdered in Palestine since October 7, Minister Tunç said that Israel continues to commit human rights violations and genocide in front of the world, ignoring international law.
“PALESTINE WILL FINALLY GET ITS INDEPENDENCE”
Minister Tunç said, “We see that nearly 600 parliamentarians from around 80 countries from many different countries of the world participated in the meetings. I greet all of them with respect and love in our country. First of all, I would like to thank the Inter-Parliamentary Jerusalem Platform for inviting me to such a meaningful place at such a meaningful time. I wholeheartedly believe that this conference will produce very useful results in terms of reflecting the ongoing crime against humanity in Palestine to the world, especially in the time period we are in regarding the Palestine cause. I congratulate the Inter-Parliamentary Jerusalem Platform, which has defended the Palestinian cause so far, defended the Jerusalem cause, the rights of our Palestinian brothers and sisters, and human rights, especially the chairman and all administrators and all the parliamentarians who are members. A platform established to announce Palestine’s just struggle to the whole world. I would like to express that I wholeheartedly support his work. I would like to point out that it is very meaningful that the theme of this meeting was determined as ‘Freedom and Independence for Palestine’. We all know how important freedom and independence are for Palestine today. “We believe that Palestine will eventually gain its independence, God willing,” he said.
“GENOCIDE HAPPENED IN FRONT OF THE WORLD’S EYES”
Stating that crimes against humanity have been committed by Israel today in the Palestinian lands, where people of all languages and religions lived in peace for 400 years under the administration of the Ottoman Empire, Tunç said, “More than 34 thousand Palestinian brothers have been martyred in the Israeli attacks since October 7. Nearly 15 thousand of them are children. 70 percent of them are children and women. A crime against humanity, a human tragedy continues before the eyes of the world. More than 77 thousand of our Palestinian brothers are injured. Houses were destroyed, razed to the ground, and a genocide took place before the eyes of the world. A crime against humanity continues to occur. Hospitals, schools, refugee camps, markets and places of worship were destroyed. 2.5 million people were left to hunger and thirst. Of course, it is undisputed that what happened in Palestine is a crime against humanity and a war crime. Israel’s systematic human rights violations against Palestinians are not new. We are faced with human rights violations that have been going on for a century. “Unfortunately, there were tears and blood after the Palestinian lands, where peace and tranquility prevailed during the Ottoman Empire for 400 years and where people of all religions lived in peace and tranquility, were taken away from the Ottomans,” he said.
“UNfortunately, the UN decision could not be put into practice”
Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç said, “After the process that started with the idea of establishing a Jewish state in the region with the 1st Zionism Congress in 1897, after the 1917 Balfour Declaration and the letter of the British foreign minister promising the Jews to establish a state, chaos and war were actually ignited in the region. In 1922, with the approval of the League of Nations, a British mandate was established in the region, and with the British Mandate, the demographic structure of the region began to change. Unfortunately, the Jewish settlers who were immigrated to the region attempted to displace the Palestinians from their own lands, as did the United Nations resolution dated 1947, which included a 2-state solution. With the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, the process there continued to become more unresolvable and in 1967, Israel occupied East Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip, the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights. Unfortunately, after the occupation, the decision of the United Nations Security Council dated 1967 regarding Israel’s withdrawal from the occupied territories was not complied with by Israel. The 1968 United Nations Security Council decision stated that changing the status of Jerusalem was invalid, but unfortunately these decisions were not implemented. In 2012, the United States declared Jerusalem the capital of Israel. “The United Nations General Assembly convened, and although 128 member countries called for this to be untrue and for other countries not to open diplomatic representatives in Jerusalem, some countries opened representations and did not comply with the United Nations decision,” he said.
“ISRAEL IS ACTING LIKE AN ORGANIZATION”
Stating that Israel systematically violates human rights, Minister Tunç said, “There are more than 60 security council resolutions of the United Nations regarding these unjust attacks and human rights violations of Israel. A state that does not comply with any of the decisions of international organizations. “Therefore, Israel, which does not comply with international law, violates human rights and does this systematically, and does not implement any decisions of international law and the international system, especially the United Nations, acts as an organization, not a state,” he said.
“INTERNATIONAL LEGAL SYSTEM HAS BEEN TRUSTED”
Minister Yılmaz Tunç criticized the West for not speaking out about the crimes against humanity in Palestine and said, “Why do those who defend the right to life not speak out? The obstruction of worship in the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the violation of freedom of religion and conscience, is there anyone in the West who raises their voices saying that freedom of religion and conscience is being violated? In an environment where children aged 12 to 13 are detained, their right to freedom and security is violated. Have you ever heard a Westerner say that the right to freedom and security is being violated in Palestine? Palestinians have had their land taken away from them for a century. Their own homes and fields were occupied and given to others. Property rights have been violated. While the right to property, one of the most basic human rights, is being violated, have you heard the opinion of human rights defenders that ‘property rights are being violated in Palestine’? Unfortunately, all principles of international humanitarian law have been trampled on. “All principles of humanitarian law and all promised articles in the 1949 Geneva Convention have been violated, especially with the attacks carried out since October 7,” he said.
Stating that the decisions taken at the International Court of Justice are not implemented, Tunç said, “None of the decisions made by the United Nations General Assembly, the UN Security Council and international courts can be implemented. Finally, there was a process that started with South Africa’s application at the International Court of Justice. As Türkiye, a lawsuit has begun to be heard with some countries, in which we have made a statement. Defenses were received at the International Court of Justice, the allegations were heard, and the first determinations were made that the elements of the United Nations convention on the prevention and punishment of genocide were violated, and an injunction was taken there to prevent that massacre, child massacre, a crime against humanity. Unfortunately, there is no system in which the injunction decision of the International Court of Justice, the main judicial body of the United Nations, can be implemented. “We will continue to raise our voices so that this decision can be brought to the United Nations Council and implemented as soon as possible and the massacres there will stop,” he said.
“EVEN HUMANITARIAN AID SUGGESTIONS ARE BEING REJECTED”
Stating that the United Nations Security Council rejected humanitarian aid proposals, especially regarding the food and hygiene issues in Palestine, Yılmaz Tunç said, “There have been many requests and suggestions brought to the United Nations Security Council since October 7, and all of these proposals have been rejected.” “We all saw together that even the proposals regarding the humanitarian aid proposal were rejected. The latest decision was made by the United Nations Security Council to decide on a ceasefire with the abstaining vote of the United States, but unfortunately Israel did not comply with this decision because it did not recognize any of the decisions of the United Nations Council.” said.
“NETANYAHU SHOULD BE TAKEN TO COURT”
Stating that the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court did not turn the file in his hand into a case, Minister Tunç said, “There is an international criminal court. There are crimes of war and genocide committed in Palestinian territory. Regarding these crimes, the chief prosecutor of the international criminal court must open the case as soon as possible. But unfortunately, in 2019 While all the evidence has been in front of the eyes of the world since October 7, the investigation has not been completed and a case has not been brought before the International Criminal Court. At this point, non-governmental organizations and countries have defended Palestine and the file in the hands of the chief prosecutor of the international criminal court has not been completed. “It needs to be turned into a lawsuit first and the Israeli attackers and the Israeli officials who murdered children and committed genocide must be brought to trial, especially Netanyahu,” he said.
“WE ALL KNOW WHAT KIND OF ATTACKS WE FACED AFTER ERDOĞAN’S ‘ONE MINUTE'”
Emphasizing that President Erdoğan is a leader who defends Palestine, Tunç said, “You all know that we, as Turkey, always stand by Palestine’s just cause. Our esteemed President is a leader who defends the Palestinian cause on every platform. He said ‘one minute’ in Davos in 2009. “We all know what kind of attacks he faced especially after his exit. We all know what kind of attacks those who called him a dictator faced within the media system and those who control that media order in the world,” he said.
“THIS PROBLEM WILL NOT GO AWAY UNLESS THE INDEPENDENT PALESTINE STATE IS ESTABLISHED”
Reacting to the post made by Israeli Foreign Minister Katz on social media, Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç said, “It goes without saying that the Israeli Foreign Minister’s post, which wants to overshadow the crime against humanity he committed and the crimes of murdering children by making a very immoral post, cannot overshadow the crimes there.” Today, in the universities of the United States and in various parts of Europe, the conscience of humanity is protesting Israel’s massacre, and eventually Israel will be held accountable for its crime by withdrawing from the lands occupied by Israel. “As Turkey, we will continue to defend that this problem will not disappear without the establishment of a Palestinian state, and we will continue to support the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on every platform,” he said.
