Politics
‘No chosen people’: Türkiye slams Israel’s expansionist aggression
Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş has condemned Israeli narratives suggesting divine entitlement to land, saying no nation is “chosen” and warning that such rhetoric fuels injustice against Palestinians.
Speaking at an iftar dinner with foreign ambassadors in Ankara on Tuesday, Kurtulmuş said Türkiye rejects religious or ideological claims used to justify territorial expansion in the Middle East.
“We do not give any credence to beliefs about promised lands or the idea that a country belongs to a chosen people,” he said. “No people have been chosen by God, and no land has been divinely granted to any nation.”
Kurtulmuş was referring to recent comments by U.S. envoy in Israel, Mike Huckabee, who on Sunday sparked outrage by saying: “It would be acceptable for Israel to exercise control over territories belonging to Arab states, including the occupied West Bank.”
Türkiye and 13 other countries condemned Huckabee’s comments, saying they constitute a “flagrant violation of the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations” and pose a grave threat to regional security and stability.
Huckabee, named U.S. ambassador to Israel in April 2025, is an evangelical Christian who has previously spoken of expansionist claims based on what he described as a “divine right” for Israel in the West Bank.
He argued that Israel has a “biblical right” to the land stretching from the Nile to the Euphrates rivers, saying on a podcast released Friday: “It would be fine if they (Israel) took it all.”
Huckabee made the remarks in an interview with U.S. journalist Tucker Carlson, during which he defended Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip and voiced support for the idea of “divine providence” giving control of the region to Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told news channel i24 last August that he feels “very attached” to the vision of a “Greater Israel.” He said he considers himself “on a historic and spiritual mission,” including “generations of Jews that dreamt of coming here and generations of Jews who will come after us.”
“Greater Israel” is a term used in Israeli politics to refer to the expansion of Israel’s territory to include the West Bank, Gaza and Syria’s Golan Heights, with some interpretations also including Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and parts of Jordan.
Kurtulmuş condemned Huckabee’s “disgraceful statements” that effectively legitimize Israel’s expansionist policies and reflect a broader collapse of the international rules-based order.
“The global system has entered a period where power overrides law and international institutions, including the United Nations, have become increasingly ineffective in preventing violations of sovereignty and human rights,” Kurtulmuş said.
He described the Palestinian issue as “the common conscience of humanity,” arguing that lasting peace in the Middle East is impossible without a two-state solution and recognition of Palestinian sovereignty.
Türkiye will continue to play a constructive and determined role in securing regional stability and advancing efforts toward lasting peace, Presidential Chief Adviser for Foreign Policy and Security Akif Çağatay Kılıç said Tuesday.
Kılıç made the remarks in a statement on his social media account following his meeting with Rustem Umerov, the secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, noting that the discussions touched on regional security, diplomatic initiatives aimed at supporting peace, and ongoing defense cooperation between Ankara and Kyiv.
Emphasizing Türkiye’s long-standing commitment to diplomacy and conflict resolution, Kılıç said the country will continue its efforts to promote stability across the region and support channels that can help pave the way for sustainable peace.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also held a meeting with Umerov in the capital Ankara, the Foreign Ministry said.
NATO member Türkiye, which has striven to maintain relations with both Kyiv and Moscow, has become a key mediator amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s push for a deal to end the yearslong war.
Türkiye is acting with caution in a region where new crises emerge daily, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Tuesday, adding that the country is ready to neutralize any plot aimed against it, underscoring the country’s determination to safeguard national security amid escalating regional challenges.
Speaking at an iftar dinner with security forces in the capital Ankara, Erdoğan emphasized that the government’s decisions are guided by more than two decades of experience, “fine political calculation” and well-planned strategy.
Erdoğan said Türkiye’s security gains are visible across the country, noting that areas once inaccessible due to PKK terrorism now welcome shepherds, domestic and foreign tourists.
“Whoever disturbs the peace of our people, whoever threatens the security of our state, or attacks our freedoms and democracy, we will continue to press down on them,” he said.
Praising Türkiye’s security forces for their role in preserving national stability, Erdoğan credited them with dismantling terror networks, confronting organized crime, preventing human trafficking, rescuing thousands at sea and defending the state during critical moments such as the July 15 coup attempt. He said their efforts have turned Türkiye into a “rare island of stability and security” in its region.
Erdoğan vowed continued support for police, gendarmerie, coast guard and all personnel under the Interior Ministry, adding that Türkiye rejects dependence or tutelage from any power.
Reaffirming Türkiye’s long-standing principle of sovereignty, Erdoğan said the state will continue strengthening its institutions to ensure peace, order and resilience against external attempts to destabilize the country.
The Center for Countering Disinformation, a subsidiary of the Turkish Presidency’s Directorate of Communications, rejected media reports claiming that Türkiye is preparing to invade Iranian territory if the U.S. launches an attack on Iran.
“Claims in certain media outlets alleging that ‘Türkiye is planning to invade Iranian territory on security grounds in the event of a U.S. attack on Iran’ contain disinformation,” the Communications Directorate said in a social media post on Tuesday. The directorate emphasized that Türkiye maintains a longstanding commitment to respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of neighboring countries. It added that Ankara continuously takes necessary measures to safeguard the country’s borders, regardless of regional tensions.
“Türkiye, which consistently upholds respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of neighboring countries, takes all necessary measures to ensure the security of its borders on a 24/7 basis, whether in times of crisis or otherwise,” it stressed.
The directorate also urged the public to refrain from giving credence to unverified claims and instead rely on official statements issued by competent authorities.
The Turkish Parliament on Wednesday hosted a commemoration marking the 34th anniversary of the killings in Khojaly, with officials calling for remembrance and warning against future atrocities.
The event, titled the “Khojaly Genocide Commemoration Program,” was organized at the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) by the Türkiye-Azerbaijan Friendship, Cooperation and Solidarity Foundation (TADIV) and the Azerbaijani Embassy in Ankara. A photo exhibition accompanied the ceremony.
Among those attending were TADIV board chair Aygün Attar, Türkiye’s Chief Ombudsman Mehmet Akarca, head of the Türkiye-Azerbaijan parliamentary friendship group Şamil Ayrım, Republican People’s Party (CHP) lawmaker Gökhan Günaydın and Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Ankara, Rashad Mammadov.
Attar, who also chairs the Presidential Security and Foreign Policies Board, said the 1992 events in Khojaly continue to shape collective memory despite the territory’s return to Azerbaijani control following the recent Karabakh war. She said the commemoration seeks to prevent “new Khojaly, Srebrenica or Gaza” tragedies and urged the international community to reject violence based on ethnic or religious identity.
Mammadov said dozens were killed in Khojaly “for being Turkish and Muslim” and noted that despite hopes after World War II that such crimes would not recur, later atrocities in Rwanda, Cambodia and Srebrenica took place.
Referring to Azerbaijan’s military gains under President Ilham Aliyev, Mammadov said the country faces the challenge of sustaining peace in the South Caucasus while ensuring similar tragedies do not happen again. He added that pursuing peace is difficult for a nation that endured such suffering but described it as a necessity to prevent further bloodshed.
Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides on Tuesday said he held an “open and honest” meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman as both sides discussed confidence-building steps and efforts to restart stalled Cyprus negotiations.
The meeting, which lasted about 90 minutes, took place at the residence of the head of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), Khassim Diagne.
Speaking to reporters afterward, Christodoulides said the leaders reviewed progress on confidence-building measures and agreed to provide guiding principles to their negotiators to help advance the process.
“We had an open and honest meeting,” he said, adding that broader substantive issues were also discussed.
Christodoulides said the two sides agreed to meet again soon to assess developments and determine whether further progress could be made toward resuming formal negotiations on the island’s future.
According to the Greek Cypriot leader, the talks included a detailed review of all confidence-building measures, including both areas of progress and points where delays have occurred. Issues related to crossing points between the two sides were also on the agenda.
He said the purpose of the contacts was to create momentum toward restarting comprehensive negotiations while preserving the framework established in previous United Nations efforts.
Christodoulides also said he has requested a meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in March and plans to convene the Greek Cypriot National Council to brief political leaders and gather their views.
Christodoulides also noted that the principle of political equality between the two communities had been reaffirmed in line with recent U.N. discussions, as both sides explore ways to rebuild trust and move the long-stalled peace process forward.
The meeting comes amid renewed diplomatic efforts to revive talks on the divided island. Cyprus has been mired in a decades-long dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, despite a series of diplomatic efforts by the U.N. to achieve a comprehensive settlement.
The Greek Cypriot side is recognized as a political entity by most of the international community, while the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) pushes for recognition, with the support of Türkiye.
Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz said Tuesday that Türkiye will continue to offer “sincere and strong support” for the reform process aimed at boosting the international effectiveness of the Developing Eight (D-8), an organization Ankara helped establish.
Yılmaz met with D-8 Secretary-General Sohail Mahmood at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, where the two discussed ongoing efforts to strengthen the bloc. In a statement shared on his social media account, Yılmaz said the meeting focused on making the D-8 more dynamic, project-oriented, and results-driven.
He noted that the accession of Azerbaijan has created new momentum within the organization, adding that the sides reviewed how to make the most of this development. Discussions also covered reforms aimed at reinforcing the Secretariat institutionally and financially to ensure more effective coordination among member states.
“As Türkiye, we will continue to sincerely and strongly support this transformation process that will enhance the global effectiveness of the D-8, in whose founding we played a leading role,” Yılmaz said.
He thanked Secretary-General Mahmood for his visit and extended his best wishes ahead of the upcoming D-8 Summit, scheduled to be held in Jakarta on April 14–15, 2026, expressing hope that the gathering would yield positive outcomes for the organization and all its member states.
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