Fidan: Gaza has turned from the largest open prison to the largest cemetery in the world

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that the Gaza Strip has turned from the largest open prison to the largest open cemetery in the world as a result of the war waged by Israel on the Palestinians. He added in a speech he delivered on Monday evening during a symposium in the Chinese capital, Beijing, which he arrived at earlier today as part of an official visit at the invitation of his counterpart Wang Yi. The Turkish Minister pointed out that the suffering of the Palestinian people is not new and did not start since October 7, but rather extends back many years. He explained that there is no safe area in Gaza, which "is witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe in full view of us all." He stressed that Turkey has been continuing its efforts since last October to secure an immediate ceasefire, prevent the expansion of the scope of the clashes, and deliver humanitarian aid to the Strip continuously without interruption. He pointed to a Turkish-Chinese consensus regarding the necessity of establishing a n independent, sovereign and unified Palestinian state with East Al-Quds as its capital within the 1967 borders. On another note, Fidan warned of the dangers of terrorist organizations in the region, most notably the Kurdistan Workers' Party and the terrorist ISIS, noting that the two organizations are exploiting areas in northern Iraq and Syria to carry out their attacks against Turkey. Regarding relations between Ankara and Beijing, Fidan referred to the "rich cultural and historical ties" between the two countries, stressing that they constitute the "foundation of a solid partnership" between them. He pointed out that the roots of technological exchange between Turkey and China extend back to the Ottoman era, when the Ottomans used to send ambassadors and envoys to the Asian country carrying pistols to promote them there, stressing that China has become Turkey's largest trading partner in Asia today, and the third in the world, indicating that the volume of trade exchange between the two countries broke a record by exceeding $48 billion in 2023. Source: National Iraqi News Agency