I greet
the Assembly respectfully, and I hope that its sixty-
ninth session will provide favourable results for all
countries, peoples and humankind. I would like to
congratulate you, Sir, on your election as the President
of the Assembly at its sixty-ninth session and to thank
Mr. John William Ashe for his work as President at the
sixty-eighth session.
The sixty-ninth session of the General Assembly
is being held on the hundredth anniversary of the
First World War, which broke out in 1914. We sadly
see that lands affected by the First World War are still
deprived of stability, peace and prosperity even after
a century. A wide area — ranging from Iraq to Syria,
from Palestine to Yemen, from Libya to Afghanistan
and to Ukraine — is witnessing scenes that leave deep
scars on the conscience of humankind. People still
die from hunger and communicable diseases in the
twenty-first century. Children and women are brutally
murdered in wars. The poor countries struggle with
hunger, malnutrition, communicable diseases and lack
of education, while the rich countries of the world
enjoy prosperity. Climate change poses a major threat
to the future of our world and that of our children. That
situation, which is a stain on human dignity, directly
concerns all of humankind and therefore, of course, the
United Nations.
Let me again, at this sixty-ninth session, stress
that no one is innocent in a world in which children are
killed, no one is safe, and no one can enjoy peace and
prosperity. In the past year alone, 6.3 million children
under five years of age lost their lives worldwide. As
a result of the war in Syria, 17,000 children have died,
375,000 have been injured, and 19,000 have lost at least
one body part.
This year 490 children were killed and 3,000
were injured as direct targets of the most modern
and murderous weapons used against the Gaza Strip
in Palestine. As they played on a beach, ran around
in a park, took refuge in a mosque or school, or were
comforted in their mothers’ laps, they were mercilessly
killed in front of cameras and before the eyes of the
world. We also see that those attempting to draw the
world’s attention to the deaths of women, children and
the disabled in Palestine are being variously labelled by
others. Those objecting to the murders in Iraq and Syria
and the murder of democracy in Egypt are again being
subjected to certain unfair and groundless accusations
and almost immediately accused of supporting
terrorism.
The global conscience is aware that those who
are ruthlessly criticizing some countries for lack of
freedom of the press are ignoring the 16 journalists
killed in Palestine and the pressure put on members of
the media. I will speak very clearly. Those who stand
by and remain unresponsive to the killing of children,
the vicious murder of women and the overthrow with
weapons and tanks of Governments that have come
to power through the will of the people are openly
participating in those crimes against humanity.
Even more significant, the modern world’s double
standard leads to substantial and serious distrust
among many people. That feeling of distrust affects
the United Nations — where we are today — and other
international organizations and threatens the sense of
justice, while filling millions of people with despair.
That distrust plays a principal role in fuelling the growth
of international terrorism today. The double standard
with regard to the oppressed and the indifference to the
killing of children help to foment terrorism around the
world. Those who lose hope in the United Nations and
other international organizations are desperate and are
helpless to resist the clutches of terrorists.
The problems in Iraq have wrought havoc among
the Iraqi people. More recently, the difficulties have
spread beyond Iraq’s borders. Unfortunately, Iraq has
now become a haven for terrorist organizations. The
current crisis in Iraq directly affects the countries in the
region, particularly Turkey. Given the newly established
Government in Iraq, it is our hope that Iraq will make
a fresh start. Turkey will stand by the Iraqi people in
their search for peace and stability. Likewise, the Syrian
crisis is spilling over the borders of that country. The
unresolved issue of half a century — Palestine — is
already a root cause of many problems in the region.
Implementing a two-State solution, lifting the
blockade against Gaza and establishing an independent,
viable State of Palestine alongside Israel is a political,
human and moral necessity. Many have spoken about
a two-State solution from this rostrum. However,
speaking about it is not sufficient. It is high time to
act. It is no longer appropriate simply to talk about the
issue — we must advance beyond that. Thousands of
people are dying while we talk instead of acting. I think,
at this point, it is a sad indication of the limits of our
sense of responsibility here at the United Nations. We
must therefore move forward. We must address these
problems at the United Nations without any further
delay in order to prevent more deaths of innocent people
and arrive at a solution.
Let me also say that the world is larger than the five
permanent members of the Security Council. The fact
that they have rendered the United Nations ineffective,
despite the situation in the world, must not be accepted
by the global conscience. Otherwise, decisions taken
at the United Nations will depend on a single country.
That is, if one country disagrees, then a decision will not
be taken or implemented. The United Nations failed to
find a solution as more than 2,000 innocent people were
killed within only two months in Palestine. In Syria,
the United Nations failed to find effective solutions as
more than 200,000 people were killed and more than
9 million people were displaced in the past four years.
I find it strange that we focus on issues selectively.
If 2,000 people are killed by chemical weapons, then
we focus on chemical weapons, and we consider the
killing of 2,000 people by chemical weapons to be a
crime. But what about the killing of 200,000 people by
conventional weapons — is that not a crime? I cannot
understand such an approach or such a mentality. Let us
clarify our thinking. Let it be understood that the use
of any kind of weapon leading to the deaths of people
is a crime, whether by chemical or conventional means.
The elected President in Egypt was overthrown
by a coup. Thousands of people wanted to defend
their electoral choice and were killed. Yet, the United
Nations and democratic countries have done nothing
but stand by while those events unfolded and the person
who conducted the coup was legitimized. If we wish
to speak meaningfully of democracy, then we should
respect the choice of the people at the ballot box. If, on
the other hand, we intend to defend people who come
to power via a coup, then I must call into question the
whole existence of the United Nations.
The United Nations is also unable to take an
effective stance in the face of uncontrolled events,
such as terrorism and migration in Iraq. This
silence, desperation and unresponsiveness can no
longer continue. We need more efficient and speedy
decision-making mechanisms if we are to be able to
address global and regional problems. Furthermore,
the United Nations should act more courageously in
standing up for the right side of the issues.
Let me point out another problem. We do not
approve of any kind of terrorism that is supposedly
carried out in the name of religion, and we believe that
such acts are hugely disrespectful to all religions. We
strongly condemn tying Islam, which means peace, to
terrorism. It is highly offensive that Islam and terror
are spoken of together. Similarly, those who call their
inhuman acts Islamic are offending the religion of
Islam, every other religion, and humankind generally.
Turkey has been trying very hard to build peace
and prosperity in the region. We do not interfere in the
internal affairs of any country; we respect and support
the territorial integrity of every country in the region.
Regarding the question of Palestine and Israel, we have
been working to try to achieve a two-State solution
based on peace and mutual respect. Our sensitivity to
this issue is based on the principle that the right to live
of every human being is sacred.
We have approached the problems in our region
on humanitarian and moral grounds alone, heedless
of race, religion, sect or interests. Our country is
sheltering 1.5 million people who have had to leave
Syria, and mostly from our own resources. Let me
repeat, 1.5 million refugees are in my country. As the
host country, we are providing them with food, medicine
and education. As for support from the rest of the world,
there has not been much, unfortunately. So far we have
spent more than $3.5 billion on the Syrian refugees in
our country. Of the roughly 4 million Syrian refugees
in the world, 1.5 million are in Turkey, with the rest
in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt and other countries.
By contrast, I would like to ask what the strong and
rich countries of Europe are doing. So far they have
sheltered only 130,000 Syrian refugees — 130,00 in all
of Europe, while in Turkey alone we have 1.5 million,
plus the 2.5 million in the other countries I just
mentioned.
The crisis in Syria has become a regional and
global issue, so much so that it is impossible to remain
indifferent to it, whether for political or humanitarian
reasons. On top of this, we have treated 102 injured
civilians from Gaza in our hospitals. Turkey has also
taken in 30,000 Yazidis fleeing Iraq, and, just before
I came to New York, we opened our borders to Kurds
fleeing Syria. It was Turkey who gave them humanitarian
aid. In the past five days alone, the number of Syrian
refugees entering our country exceeded 150,000.
Five hundred years ago, we opened our doors to
Jews who had been expelled from Europe. We have
always protected the rights of Christians in Europe, and
today we are still opening our arms to those in need,
regardless of their religion, race or sect. I am proud
to say that Turkey allocates 2.1 per cent of its national
income to humanitarian aid, and as such has become
one of the most generous countries in the world. In
addition, thanks to the experience we have gained
throughout history, we have always maintained our
objectivity regarding terrorism, sectarian conflicts and
other crises, and we have always based our approach on
the defence and protection of people’s rights.
I would like to point out here that Turkey is not
a country that supports or condones terrorism. We
have fought terrorism, because we suffered from it
for 30 years, and are still suffering from it. Turkey
is also strongly against every kind of anti-Semitism,
Islamophobia and racism. I have said myself that
anti-Semitism is a crime against humanity, and I may
be one of the few political leaders who has so clearly
expressed this to the world. Similarly, the whole world
should accept that Islamophobia is also a crime against
humanity.
Turkey would like to see a solution to the problem in
Cyprus. We would like to see an end to the occupation
of territories in Azerbaijan. We have always voiced our
strong support for the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
We stand ready to support regional and global peace
at all costs, and we will continue to be a unique friend
to our friends. We will always stand firm against
terrorists, oppressors and killers, especially the killers
of children. We will fight for democracy and prosperity
with all our heart and soul. We are always ready to
join forces with other countries within the framework
of those ideals and on this common path, and that, of
course, is the kind of cooperation that humankind is
seeking today.
In that context, I should also say that we look to the
General Assembly to support Turkey in its candidacy
for a non-permanent seat on the Security Council, and
we thank the countries that are backing us. To that end,
I hope that the sixty-ninth session of the Assembly will
begin the work of wiping away the tears, blood, poverty
and injustice staining the face of the Earth. I wish the
Assembly and its President, Mr. Kutesa, every success,
and I would like to convey my country’s sincerest
greetings to all the nations represented here.