Erdogan’s call for justice: Challenging Western hypocrisy at the UNGA
On 24 September, leaders across the world met in New York for the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Leaders exchanged their ideas on different topics and the recent situation in the Middle East.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivered a speech after President Joe Biden. His main part of the speech was related to the situation in Gaza. The speech was clear and full of emotions, having a purpose to aware people of the sufferings of people’s lives in Palestine. While Biden talked about achievements during his presidential era. Joe Biden offered a general sense of hope. However, Erdogan gave certain ideas about how to tackle the situation and move forward.
Erdogan is famous because of his clear thoughts, and his straightforwardness and style appeal to both his supporters in Turkey and people around the world. He has many expertise and is well-known for how to discuss global issues, particularly those that affect undeveloped nations. It includes different crises in various places, such as Syria and Myanmar, and climate change talks. His speech highlighted that he wants justice and urgent action on these complex issues.
Israel’s ongoing aggressive actions on Palestinians
Erdogan’s speech paid attention to the Gaza situation. The speech has two parts.
First, he shed light on his famous saying, “The world is bigger than five.” This line strongly opposes the current government system. No matter what type of conflict it is, and where it occurred, organizations such as the United Nations Security Council were not successful in handling issues. This failure is directly linked to the 5 permanents of the UNSC.
Second, Erdogan questioned the credibility of Western values. He described Gaza as
“the largest cemetery for children and women in the world.”
Western countries, especially the US and important European countries, say they are against human rights and democracy. But their silence about Israel’s actions against Palestinians shows a big mistake. This situation highlights the double standards inherent in their claims of universal values, as they often prioritize political alliances over human rights.
His speech greatly criticized Western leaders because of their insincerity. He highlighted that this dual behaviour is not just about the Gaza war or Israel’s illegal occupation. Instead, he highlighted how Eurocentric values protect a powerful few while neglecting the needs of many others around the world.
Erdogan also emphasized changes in global governance. This is because Western leaders ignore human rights and freedom of speech. He also said that Turkey plays an important role in shifting the world order. Erdogan believes that his nation can be an influential and active player in the formation of a fair global system. The system where everyone gets justice.
This reflects a desire for a world where all countries have a voice and the interests of all people are considered.
The focal point of his speech was Gaza and Palestinian’s ongoing sufferings. He also highlights Turkiye’s role in foreign policy. He said that Turkey’s influence on the global level is increased to address matters such as the Gaza war, the Russia-Ukraine war, etc. Many other global issues also received attention. It includes the plight of Uyghur Muslims in China, terrorism, climate change, and xenophobia. His main purpose was to indicate that Turkey had always fulfilled its commitment.
Erdogan also called on the international community to take stricter actions against Israel. Nations that support Israel should reconsider their stance.
His speech proposed reforms for global governance and criticized Western hypocrisy regarding human rights. This speech at the UN General Assembly showed how important Turkey is in international affairs. It shows how active it is on big global issues and wants to change how governments are run around the world.
