Call from Erdogan that left its mark on the Astana summit: Israel needs to be stopped as soon as possible.

President Erdogan spoke at the Extended Session of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Astana. President Erdogan emphasized the need to immediately stop Israel, which has killed more than 28,000 civilians in Gaza, and stated, "Israel must be forced to accept a permanent ceasefire. For this, pressure on the Israeli government must be increased and continued."

"APPROXIMATELY 40,000 INNOCENT LIVES HAVE BEEN LOST DUE TO ATTACKS"

Highlights from Erdogan's statement are as follows: "The theme of 'Enhancing Multilateral Dialogue in the Search for Sustainable Peace and Development' chosen for the summit is extremely accurate. We are going through a period where the pillars of the rule-based international system are being shaken. Challenges such as terrorism, Islamophobia, irregular migration, climate change, disruptions in energy and food security, increase the intensity of the geopolitical tremors we are experiencing. The most recent and painful example of this is being displayed in the occupied Palestinian territories, especially Gaza, in front of all of us. Approximately 40,000 innocent lives have been lost due to the attacks carried out indiscriminately in Gaza. Approximately 90,000 Palestinians have been injured. The ruins under which more than 16,000 innocent children lost their lives are actually the wreckage of the international system that has lost its legitimacy."

"OUR AIM IS TO ESTABLISH A PEACE BELT"

In order to put an end to this destruction, Israel must be stopped and forced to accept a permanent ceasefire. For this, pressure on the Israeli government must be increased and continued. Of course, despite all the obstacles, we are working tirelessly to establish an effective and inclusive international system that eliminates global injustices, goes beyond economic inequalities, and produces peace, security, stability, and prosperity, by drawing attention to the weaknesses of the existing international order as Turkey. Our aim is to establish a peace belt in our region and beyond with an entrepreneurial diplomacy approach that places humanity and human values at the center.

"WE HAVE BEEN FIGHTING TERRORISM FOR 40 YEARS"

While the world is experiencing these upheavals, it is also facing a terrorist threat. Turkey, which has lost tens of thousands of its citizens to terrorist organizations, is a country that knows and recognizes the bloody face of terrorism very well. We have been fighting terrorism, including various forms and manifestations of terrorism such as PKK, PYD, YPG, FETO, and ISIS, for 40 years and will continue to do so. Our long-standing experience in combating terrorism shows that international cooperation is essential to deal with this threat. In this context, we are ready to further strengthen our dialogue with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Regional conflicts, political instabilities, and international migration movements triggered by poverty have also become one of the fundamental vulnerabilities.

"WE HOST MORE THAN 4 MILLION DISPLACED PEOPLE"

As Turkey, we host more than 4 million displaced people, including Syrians under temporary protection. We emphasize the need for the international community to act with a sense of responsibility. Humanitarian aid is another essential tool in combating the problems we mentioned. We have undertaken one-third of the aid sent to Gaza as Turkey. Our 20th goodwill train carrying approximately 620 tons of humanitarian aid reached Afghanistan on June 12th. Likewise, we recently delivered a total of 24 tons of food and medicine to Afghanistan with a cargo plane belonging to the Turkish Air Force. In this regard, we are ready to create a joint synergy with you. As a responsible member of the international community, Turkey is an important force multiplier in the fight against global challenges. With our initiative to return to Asia, we aim to strengthen our relations with our ancestral homeland Asia in all fields based on mutual benefit and common priorities. Within the scope of the initiative, we attach importance to developing our relations with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which represents the ancient tradition of consultation in Asia and is a representative of a multilateral dialogue platform.

Thanks to our dialogue partnership status that we have had since 2013, the organization has become one of our important dialogue channels with Asia. As it is known, in 2017, we assumed the presidency of the Energy Club High-Level Group of the organization. It was a first for a non-member state to perform such a duty within the organization. This responsibility, which was fulfilled by our country, is very valuable in terms of showing how much our relations with the organization have developed. We will continue our cooperation in many areas, including security, energy, and connectivity, to contribute to the organization's goal of promoting multilateralism in Asia. With these thoughts, I would like to conclude my words by once again greeting you with respect. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the organization of the summit, especially the host country Kazakhstan."