New York City: At a United Nations (UN) conference on Palestine held alongside the UN General Assembly in New York, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto voiced support for a two-state solution to resolve the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Both leaders highlighted the urgency of ending violence and addressing the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. However, speculations of their speeches being interrupted and cut short, soon surfaced on social media.
However, Türkiye’s Communications Directorate later clarified that President Erdogan was not interrupted during his speech. His remarks were cut off after five minutes as per standard UN technical procedures, a practice applied to all heads of state. The Turkish president congratulated countries recognising the state of Palestine, calling their moves “quite important” and “historic”.
Erdogan reiterated the need for a ceasefire in Gaza, unimpeded humanitarian access, and withdrawal of Israeli forces. He criticised the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, efforts to impose a fait accompli in East Jerusalem, and Israel’s deepening occupation, warning that these actions undermine the prospects for a Palestinian state.
He also accused the Netanyahu government of attempting to force Palestinians from their lands, saying such policies “can never be allowed”.
Prabowo Offers Peacekeeping Support
Indonesian President Subianto described the situation in Gaza as a “humanitarian disaster happening before our eyes” and condemned all acts of violence against civilians. Indonesia offered to deploy peacekeeping forces to halt the conflict and reaffirmed its commitment to the two-state solution.
Prabowo outlined Indonesia’s recognition policy, saying that the country would recognise Israel only once Israel formally acknowledges Palestinian independence. “We remain committed to the two-state solution in the Palestine problem,” he told delegates, urging international unity to end the humanitarian crisis.
The conference, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, aimed to revive the two-state solution and intensify diplomatic efforts. Erdogan and Prabowo’s speeches come after recent recognition of Palestine by the UK, Australia, Canada, and several European countries.
