PNN – A Turkish writer believes that turning the Gaza issue into an election campaign issue by the Turkish ruling party is a regrettable move and such a situation is not befitting of Turkey.
According to the report of the International group of Pakistan News Network, during the past few days, most of the media and political circles of Turkey have talked about the fact that it is necessary to establish a ceasefire in Gaza as soon as possible and before the start of the holy month of Ramadan.
The media under the control of the Justice and Development Party talk about this issue as if Erdogan’s government, behind the scenes, has taken over the entire process of consultation, mediation and reaching an agreement between Hamas and the Zionist regime.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who had negotiated with the Israelis many times in Cairo and other scenes during the time he was the head of the intelligence service, talked about Gaza at the diplomatic meeting in Antalya as if he was one of the important elements are the room where the negotiations between Hamas and Israel are going on.
He announced that a ceasefire will probably be established before the start of the holy month of Ramadan. But the problem is that this news is not hidden from the eyes of the authorities and citizens of other countries, and it is not necessary for a journalist to ask Fidan about the announcement of the ceasefire in a calculated and planned way and he will answer as an informant!
So what is the matter? Why does Türkiye treat Palestine in this way? In response, it should be said that Turkey is very interested in showing its ability as a regional mediator with international peacemaking potential.
Can Türkiye do something for Gaza or not?
Paying attention to the issue of Palestine and Gaza in the Turkish media and among the officials of the Justice and Development Party is always a current issue and on the agenda, but now the issue of aid to Gaza has been highlighted even in the Istanbul election campaign, and Murad Kurum, the candidate supported by Erdogan for Istanbul Municipality talks about Gaza day and night!
Kurum, the candidate for the mayorship of Istanbul, promised that if he wins and is elected as the mayor instead of Akram Imamoglu, he will order that the municipality of Istanbul send humanitarian aid to Gaza!
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See his words: “I hope the results of the elections in Istanbul, on March 31, will make the hearts of the oppressed people of Gaza happy. They will be delighted to hear the news of our victory. Because the Istanbul Municipality, with our order, will help the people of Gaza, will help the freedom of Gaza.”
These words mean that if the people of Istanbul choose the candidate supported by Erdogan as mayor in the upcoming elections, the way to help Gaza will be paved!
There is no one to say why Erdogan’s government has not taken such an action! Muradbeg’s speech means that if you vote for me, what is better, we will help Gaza. But if the people of Istanbul do not vote for me, the task of helping Gaza will be on their shoulders!
Murad Kurum’s words are just one example. The behavior of the Erdoğan government has a clear interpretation: The Turkish government talks a lot, shows itself to be very sensitive and caring, but does nothing special for Gaza! Let’s accept that we don’t have a good track record in supporting the people of Gaza, and history will not forget this approach of Turkey and some other Islamic countries.
Only expressing sympathy and compassion and an attractive and passionate speech is not enough for Gaza, and it is not possible to fulfill the burden of duty and responsibility placed on the shoulders of our country in this way. We had one or two limited marches in Turkey, but people from many countries, from America to Europe, from Latin America to Australia, demonstrated and protested in the streets, and they are much sadder than us for the people of Gaza.
Protests in the West are still going on like the first day. They make more noise than us. They disturb Israel and America more than us. Let’s face it, we are lagging behind in the race for sympathy and companionship with Gaza.
What could the government have done but did not do?
Erdogan’s government can do many things. First of all, it can stop trade with Israel. A significant part of Turkey’s export goods to Israel is to meet the needs of the Israeli army, and this process must be stopped.
Under the current circumstances, this is a process that is both legally possible and morally necessary and should not be delayed. Trade with Israel must end. Also, our cargo ships should not carry our products or other countries’ products to Israeli ports.
For serious support to begin, trade must be suspended on condition of truce, and if the killing continues, it must be completely suspended. In addition, it is not enough for Turkey to limit its trade, but it is expected to put pressure on other countries in the international arena.
Turkey can also replace these resources and mobilize other countries after the decision of the United States and some European countries to cut off UNRWA aid, which is the lifeline of Palestine and Gaza. But he did not do this and refused to discuss this issue.
Turkey could take the initiative to airlift food aid. That is what Jordan and the United States have started to do now.
As Turkish civil society cannot take to the streets without permission from the government, sensitivity to Gaza at home is almost over. While academics around the world continue to react with the risk of being fired from their jobs, our universities have been watching the events in complete silence for months. As if they were warned from somewhere to keep quiet.