Erdoğan vows to Prevent 'Second Nakba' for Palestinians

“We do not consider proposals to expel the Palestinians from their lands to be serious. With God's will, no one has the power to make the Palestinian people experience a second Nakba, and they will not be able to do so,” Erdoğan said at an event in Malaysia.

His remarks came in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal that the United States take over Gaza and remove its residents en masse.

During his speech at the Putrajaya International Convention Center, Erdoğan criticized Israel over the destruction in Gaza, saying its financial cost was estimated at $100 billion.

“The responsible party for this heavy cost is Israel and the [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu government,” he said. “First of all, the Israeli administration should be charged for the destruction they caused, and with this, the reconstruction processes in Gaza should be started.”

Nakba, Arabic for catastrophe, refers to the mass displacement of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. Around 700,000 people fled or were expelled and were not allowed to return, leading to a refugee population that now numbers around 6 million.

In Gaza, refugees and their descendants make up about three-quarters of the population.

Erdoğan accused Israel of maintaining a “spoiled attitude” despite a ceasefire with Hamas and criticized Western nations for what he called an inadequate response to the humanitarian crisis.

“Two million people have experienced the most barbaric genocide of the last century,” he said. “Despite this, our Gazan brothers did not kneel before the oppressors and did not abandon their homeland.”

Calling for a new global order, Erdoğan said the current system favors power over justice.

“We openly express our objection to this unjust order on every ground,” he said. “From economy and diplomacy to trade and security... the construction of a fair, sharing and trust-based system is more than a choice, it is a necessity.”

During the event, Erdoğan was awarded an honorary doctorate in international relations by Sultan Nazrin Shah, the ruler of Perak state.

The president emphasized Türkiye's intention to strengthen ties with Malaysia through technological cooperation and trade, aiming to double the trade volume between the two countries to $10 billion.

Earlier in the day, Erdoğan was welcomed in Malaysia by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and other officials. His visit is part of a three-day South Asia tour, with stops in Indonesia and Pakistan, aimed at discussing global developments and strengthening diplomatic relations.

Source: HDN