Turkey at the ICJ: Israel putting Gaza through ‘darkness of the Middle Ages’

By Ragip Soylu - MEE Turkey Bureau Chief

Dear readers,

Turkey participated in the hearings on Israel’s occupation of Palestine at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague on Monday, condemning Tel Aviv for its acts against humanity.

Deputy Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Yildiz was the first representative to talk about human rights violations by Israel in the Palestinian Territories on the last day of the hearings when more than 50 countries shared their legal views.

Yildiz said that Israel had been treating Palestinians in Gaza “with the darkness of the Middle Ages”.

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“End the trade with Israel” calls

Yildiz’s testimony came as Turkey’s diplomatic approach to the conflict was criticised by those in the region for being too soft or non-interventionist.

Ankara has walked a fine line since the start of the war and the attack on Israel by Hamas on 7 October, hoping to play the part of ?mediator between the parties.

But after it was made clear to Ankara that Israel wouldn’t be interested in such negotiations, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan heightened the rhetoric, calling Israel’s acts in Palestine “a crime against humanity” and a “genocide”.

On Saturday, at a rally hosted by Erdogan in Sakarya, police quickly removed a poster held by a protestor which read: “End the shame of conducting trade with Israel.”

For while the Turkish public is now talking less about the war, Ankara continues to allow trade with Israel through private companies.

And it doesn’t have any intention of ending that any time soon. The thinking is that such moves would be counter-productive, ?torpedoing Turkey’s relations with Israel in the long run and failing to produce favourable results for the Palestinians.

But those points aren’t appreciated on the Arab Street, which blames Erdogan for only talking and not doing anything.

Ankara’s efforts to unify Fatah and Hamas have also not borne any fruit, as Israel’s campaign of assassinations against the Hamas leadership has cut short any possible meetings.

This is why Turkey has been utilising all other legal and international platforms to raise its voice on Gaza, which has fallen short of many expectations.

At the ICJ, Yildiz pointed out that Israel must not be allowed to continue with the injustices and double standards to which the Palestinians have been exposed for decades.

"Israel should be held responsible for all actions that violate human rights and international law,” he said.

Yildiz reiterated that the two-state solution, based on the 1967 borders and East Jerusalem being the capital of a Palestinian state, is the only just avenue to resolve the conflict.

Stating that Turkey opposes any change to the status of Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Y?ld?z said: "Turkey also condemns the obstruction of Muslims from praying comfortably in the Harem al-Sharif [Temple Mount]. These obstructions are against the historical status of Jerusalem."

Y?ld?z said that approximately two million Palestinians had been forcibly displaced in Gaza. "Israel's actions have turned into collective punishment."

He also warned about “settler terrorism” in the West Bank and condemned statements by Israeli ministers which claimed Muslim access to Temple Mount would be restricted during the holy month of Ramadan, which is expected to begin on 11th March.

“Therefore, those with conscience and understanding should take action without wasting time,” Y?ld?z said.

"Turkey requests the International Court of Justice to declare that Israel's actions in the occupied Palestinian territories, including Jerusalem, are contrary to international law."

Many expect the Turkish leadership to use more heavy-handed rhetoric against Israel if it continues its actions in contravention of international law in Gaza and Jerusalem during Ramadan.

Worth mentioning

• Turkey’s intelligence agency MIT published its annual activity report this week. It’s a highly redacted document, except for the foreword by President Ibrahim Kalin. One thing Kalin revealed was that Turkey conducted intelligence operations in Ukraine last year. He also said MIT “has been continuing in its intelligence diplomacy” activities to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, broker prisoner swaps and facilitate humanitarian aid to the Palestinians. And the president officially confirmed that Turkey detected and exposed an Israeli intelligence network in the country that had been spying on Turkish and foreign citizens.
• Turkey is also set to solidify its power in Somalia through a naval defence cooperation deal. The arrangement mandates Turkey to build a navy for Mogadishu but also protect its waters against violations for the next 10 years. Somali officials are more than willing to grant special rights to Ankara in defence of its territorial waters while Ethiopia moves against its interests. Read my analysis here.
• As we approach the March local elections, when the government wants to recapture Istanbul and Ankara from the opposition, smaller parties are proving to be the kingmakers. Erdogan was tense on Monday when he spoke about the New Welfare Party (Yeniden Refah), which is a political Islamist group running a candidate in Istanbul against Murat Kurum of the ruling party. “These are circus acrobats,” said Erdogan. “We do not condone those who engage in pirate politics under the shadow of the AK Party.” Yeniden Refah has around three per cent of the votes in Istanbul so far, which might prove critical for a Kurum victory - or his defeat.

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