Erdogan accuses world of double standards on Gaza

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticised the international community for failing to take effective action against Israeli operations in the occupied Palestinian territories, warning that the global system responsible for maintaining peace and security is losing its effectiveness.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the TRT World Forum 2026 at the Istanbul Congress Centre on Friday, Erdogan said international institutions had failed to respond meaningfully to the ongoing violence in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

He accused the international community of remaining largely silent while Palestinians faced displacement and attacks on their homes and communities. He said institutions established to protect international peace and stability were once again standing by as humanitarian tragedies unfolded.

Drawing comparisons with past atrocities in Rwanda and Srebrenica, Erdogan said global institutions had largely limited their response to expressing concern rather than taking practical steps to prevent further suffering.

The Turkish president also highlighted the growing number of attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. He said more than 3,000 attacks and violations targeting Palestinians had been recorded in October alone.

Erdogan further expressed concern over the failure to implement the Gaza Peace Agreement reached in October 2025, which Türkiye also helped broker. He criticised what he described as international double standards, arguing that some countries took strong positions on certain issues but avoided decisive action over Israel’s conduct towards Palestinians.

He said the international principle that agreements must be respected was increasingly being ignored. According to Erdogan, the disregard for established international rules was weakening the global order and making it increasingly difficult to resolve conflicts through diplomatic means.

Describing the international situation as a period of growing instability, Erdogan said power rivalries were intensifying, established rules were being disregarded and global governance institutions were struggling to address major challenges.

He said the world was experiencing a structural crisis in which the existing international order was weakening while a new system had yet to emerge.

Erdogan also reiterated Türkiye’s commitment to diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving conflicts across the region. He said his country was working for peaceful solutions to crises affecting Palestine, Yemen, Sudan and Ukraine.

He added that Türkiye would continue supporting what it considers just solutions and would not abandon its efforts despite international pressure and attempts to undermine its diplomatic position.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces and settlers carried out a series of attacks across the occupied West Bank on Friday, targeting Palestinian farmers, residential areas and agricultural land, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

The reported incidents included assaults on olive harvesters, the burning of residential tents and farmland, restrictions on foreign activists and journalists, and raids on several Palestinian communities.

In Abu Falah village, northeast of Ramallah, Israeli soldiers reportedly forced dozens of foreign activists and several journalists to leave after they attempted to support Palestinian residents seeking access to their land for the annual olive harvest.

In another incident near Jabal al-Risan, Israeli settlers and soldiers allegedly assaulted and detained 15 foreign activists who were helping Palestinian farmers collect olives.

Wafa also reported that settlers entered a Bedouin community using all-terrain vehicles and drove through residential areas, creating disturbances among local residents.

In the southern West Bank, Israeli forces raided the tourist site of Solomon’s Pools near Bethlehem and closed several entrances to the Bethlehem governorate.

Near Yatta, south of Hebron, settlers reportedly released livestock into Palestinian agricultural fields and among fruit trees in the Huwwara area. Palestinian resident Khalil Mahmoud al-Hamamdeh and his son Omar confronted the settlers. Israeli forces subsequently arrived and detained Khalil, according to the report.

Further incidents were reported in central and northern parts of the occupied territory. In Burqa village, east of Ramallah, settlers allegedly set fire to agricultural land.

In Duma, south of Nablus, settlers attacked the eastern part of the village and set fire to residential tents, causing property damage. No injuries were reported.