Turkic states show united position on Gaza violence  

Leaders of the Organisation of Turkic States called for a ceasefire in Gaza as soon as possible and expressed support for an independent Palestinian state at a summit in Astana on Friday.

It was the Turkic states’ first strong joint statement on a serious international political issue, since the creation of the OTS in 2009.

Speaking at the summit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described Israel’s attacks on Gaza as “a crime against humanity” that “cannot be justified by anything”.

He said Turkey did not support “any military action against civilians” and wanted a “soonest possible” ceasefire “to end human losses irrespective of who they are, Muslims, Christians or Jews.”

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev described the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as “extremely dangerous” and called for “an immediate end to military action”.

“The only fair solution to the problem can be based on the principle of two states for two peoples. As stated in UN resolutions, the people of Palestine have the right to create an independent state,” he said.

“In the name of our organisation, we have to announce to the whole world our united and principled position on this issue,” Mirziyoyev added, making clear he was speaking on behalf of all members.

Kazakh President Kasymzhomart Tokayev said the violence in Gaza was killing civilians, “especially children and the elderly”.

He said Kazakhstan would provide 1m dollars in humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people.

In another, political gesture underlining Turkic solidarity, Tokayev congratulated Azeri President Ilham Aliyev on “the restoration of territorial integrity”, referring to Azerbaijan’s military operation in September to take over from Armenian control the disputed Karabakh region.  

Azerbaijan’s success was down to a great extent to Turkey’s military and political support.

Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who attended the summit as leader of an observer nation, used the platform to criticise Europe for its handling of the Ukrainian-Russian war.

He said Europe’s policy of supplying Ukraine with weapons was “a failure”. He said that European leaders must “face the reality and work out a plan B”.

“We call for peace, for building a new security infrastructure, which will be acceptable both for Ukraine and Russia,” Orban said in Astana.

Hungary relies on Russian natural gas for 80-85 percent of its needs. Orban’s authoritarian policies also make him a ‘black sheep’ within the EU, but a ‘good fit’ among the Turkic leaders.

The OTS is seen as part of Ankara’s plan to increase its international political weight in its role as leader of energy-rich and strategically located Central Asia. For the Central Asian nations, a Turkic integration can help counterbalance Russian and Chinese influence in the region.

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