This came during a press conference he held at the conclusion of his participation in the G20 summit, which took place on Saturday and Sunday in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Gaza issue
President Erdogan said that “world peace will not be achieved in its true sense without the establishment of a free Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital,” adding that Turkey stood by the Palestinian cause “strongly and without fear of anyone,” and bravely defended the rights of the oppressed in Gaza in all forums.
He stressed that it is impossible to ignore the genocide in Gaza and the rest of Palestine, pointing out that the perpetrators of this genocide are Israel and its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and continued: "It is abundantly clear that the war in Gaza is genocide."
On the other hand, President Erdogan praised South Africa’s support for the Palestinian cause and its “exemplary” stance against Israel’s war of extermination on Gaza.
He expressed his greetings and congratulations to South Africa for taking a courageous stance in the genocide case it brought against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
Ukraine war
Regarding developments in the Russian-Ukrainian war, the Turkish President announced that he will hold a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Monday to discuss ways to end the war with Ukraine and activate the Black Sea Grain Corridor agreement.
Erdogan said in this regard: "I met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Ankara last week and I will call Putin tomorrow, and I will ask him again to resume work on the grain corridor agreement."
Erdogan explained that Ankara's efforts regarding the Black Sea grain shipping corridor were aimed at paving the way for peace, adding: "Türkiye will do everything it can to achieve peace and we will succeed in that, God willing."
The situation in Sudan
Regarding developments in Sudan, President Erdoğan announced that his country would continue its efforts to end the conflict there. He added, "Wherever there is a problem, we will be there (to solve it), and our Sudanese brothers are also requesting Turkey's participation in resolving these problems."
He affirmed that Türkiye has sought and will continue to seek peace everywhere, whether in Sudan, Somalia, or the Gulf, and stressed the importance of the G20 leading the international community in confronting current and future global challenges.
The Turkish President attended the closing session and the handover ceremony of the G20 presidency in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The G20 Leaders’ Summit, hosted by South Africa under the theme “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability”, concluded with its closing session.
On Friday, President Erdogan arrived in Johannesburg at the head of a Turkish delegation to participate in the summit held on Saturday and Sunday.
The G20 is a forum for the world’s largest economies. It was founded in 1999, following the economic crises of the late 1990s, with 20 members representing about 60 percent of the world’s population and an estimated 85 percent of its total economy.
This summit is the first of its kind to be held on the African continent, and it is also the first in which the African Union participates as a permanent member, which is seen as an important step that enhances the continent’s role in the global governance system.
The G20 includes the European Union and the African Union, along with 19 countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, Britain, and the United States of America.
