The Turkish Embassy in Beirut on Thursday issued the following statement:

‘First Lady Emine Erdogan addressed a press conference following the ‘United for Peace in Palestine’ Summit, held with the participation of the spouses of the heads of state and government and special representatives from numerous countries.

First Lady Erdogan said: ‘Respected members of the press, I would like to extend my warmest greetings to you. I stand before you on the occasion of the First Ladies summit, where we have united for peace in Palestine. Once again, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all First Ladies, my sisters, who have taken a stance against this atrocity against the conscience of humanity by attending the summit. It is my sincere hope that this historic summit serve as a means to institute tranquility and peace in Palestine and our region. As a result of the summit, we make the following joint call on the entire world today from Istanbul:

We, as the first ladies and representatives of countries,
came together in Istanbul, on November 15, 2023, to draw the attention of the international community to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and to call for an end to the tragedy endured by civilians, especially children, women, the patients and the disabled, for the establishment of a just and lasting peace, and to mobilize the international community to take action against these atrocities, which may amount to war crime.

We are deeply concerned about the humanitarian tragedy in the occupied Palestinian territories, including Gaza and the West Bank, especially East Al Quds, due to the war that has unfolded since October 7, 2023. We draw attention to the fact that the humanitarian crisis caused by the blockade and embargo imposed on Gaza, which is incompatible with international law, prevents civilians from accessing basic needs and has turned into a real human rights violation. We emphasize that the massacre of more than 11 thousand civilians, mostly children and women, in the tragedy in Gaza since October 7 co
nstitutes one of the gravest violations of international law.

We highlight the need to take urgent action to ensure the safety of pregnant women, children, babies and patients who are under inhumane conditions and face the threat of massacre. We wish for a two-state solution where both Israelis and Palestinians can raise their children in peace and security. In this context, we, as the First Ladies and the representatives of countries, call on the entire world for: Immediate and collective action to stop the ongoing massacres in Gaza; immediate cessation of Israeli attacks targeting all civilian infrastructure in Gaza, including schools, hospitals and other medical facilities, refugee camps, United Nations facilities and places of worship; urgent ceasefire that will end the hostilities and the provision of unhindered, sufficient and safe humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza; firm rejection of any attempts to forcibly displace the Palestinian civilian population, emphasizing the grave impact of displa
cement under the current circumstances of conflict on women, children and elderly; immediate and full compliance by all parties with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law. I call on every human being of good conscience to support our global call. Thank you.’

Source: National news agency – Lebanon