Jordan, Turkiye foreign ministers talk Gaza, region

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi and his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan Tuesday held talks in Ankara on efforts to stop the Israeli war on Gaza, the occupied West Bank and Lebanon.

Safadi and Fidan urged international action to stop the Israeli war on Gaza, the occupied West Bank and Lebanon and discussed cooperation.

In a press conference, Safadi said, “Our historical relations that His Majesty King Abdullah II and His Excellency President Recep Tayyip Erdogan want are distinguished relations characterised by cooperation and coordination, and we are determined to move forward in expanding cooperation in its various fields.”

He added, “We are continuing our joint coordination and permanent cooperation to achieve our goal of stopping the brutal Israeli aggression on Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon and achieving a just and comprehensive peace, which will not be achieved if the Palestinian people do not obtain their right to freedom, dignity and an independent sovereign state on their
national soil on the lines of June 4, 1967, with occupied Jerusalem as its capital.”

He added that Jordan and Turkiye agree on the priority of stopping the Israeli war on Gaza, “Our priorities are clear, and our joint work aims to end the aggression, a priority that must be achieved immediately, and to deliver humanitarian aid to more than 1.3 million Palestinians facing real famine… Today, we are in a worse situation than we were a week or a month ago.”

He added, “The situation in Gaza is still catastrophic, the Israeli aggression continues, and the famine is worsening in northern Gaza in particular. We warn of the danger of what is happening now. Not a single aid truck has entered northern Gaza since the thirtieth of last month, while the bombing and killing continue.”

He said, “All indications show that Israel wants to empty northern Gaza of its residents by targeting hospitals and even the only operating bakery in northern Gaza,” adding, “This is a war crime, whether in preventing food and medicine f
rom reaching Gaza or using starvation as a weapon. Israel’s ethnic cleansing is also another war crime.”

Safadi said, “What Israel has done over the past year is not only destroying Gaza, its schools, mosques, churches and hospitals. It has also destroyed all infrastructure and targeted water and electricity networks and roads, which leads to one conclusion: Israel wants to make Gaza an uninhabitable area to empty it of its residents, and this is the red line that we have all agreed upon.”

He added, “There is another war waged by Israel against the Palestinian people in the West Bank, which is evident not only in the killing and targeting operations, but also in the expansion of settlements, in the confiscation of lands to destroy homes, and in the weakening of the Palestinian National Authority.”

He said His Majesty King Abdullah II had warned against pushing the occupied West Bank to explosion and a pursuant regional explosion, especially in terms of holy sites in occupied Jerusalem. “As you know, His Ma
jesty the King is the guardian of the Islamic and Christian holy sites, and we are constantly following the situation there.”

He added, “There is a systematic Israeli policy to change the historical and legal status quo in the holy sites and to change the Arab, Islamic and Christian identity of the holy sites in Jerusalem.”

On Israel’s war in Lebanon, Safadi said, “We see the Israeli aggression continuing, and what happened proves that what Israel wants is far beyond what it claims to guarantee its security, because its security will not be achieved unless the Palestinians obtain their security, and the root of the conflict, which is the Israeli occupation, is resolved.”

He added, “But in Lebanon specifically, the Israeli and international demand has always been to implement Resolution 1701, and the Lebanese government announced that it is ready to implement Resolution 1701 in full, but Israel continues its aggression and has now displaced about 1.2 million Lebanese who are also facing a humanitarian catas
trophe as a result of losing their homes and lives.”

Safadi said: “The most extremist Israeli government in the history of Israel continues its aggression and hostility because the world has not implemented international law, and therefore it cannot curb this aggression that has not achieved security for Israel,” accusing the Israeli government of regional escalation.

He said, “It is true that Israel has achieved military gains on the ground and destroyed Gaza, is destroying Lebanon and is destroying the West Bank, but Israel is facing or suffering a strategic defeat now; It is losing the legal and political battle, and this Israeli government has made Israel a rogue and outcast state, and this will have serious repercussions on the future.”

He urged the international community to stop the aggression and force Israel to allow humanitarian aid in, and impose peace “because the whole world realises that the two-state solution that embodies the independent Palestinian state with sovereignty on Palestinian nat
ional soil is the only way to achieve peace.”

Safadi said Jordan and Turkiye are working bilaterally or within the framework of the joint Arab-Islamic group formed by the joint Arab-Islamic summit in Saudi Arabia.

He said, “Our efforts are ongoing, our goal is one and our message to the world is that if Israel does not stop now, and if an end is not put to this extremist ideology that kills children and women, destroys all aspects of life and deprives people of their food, medicine and water, then we are facing a dangerous escalation in the entire region.”

Safadi said Amman and Ankara are committed to developing ties, supporting the Palestinian people and protecting the region from the consequences of further wars and conflicts.

Safadi said Jordan has a special responsibility regarding the holy sites in occupied Jerusalem, “As they are a red line, and as I mentioned in the context of the historical Hashemite custodianship over these Sanctities, the custodianship over the holy sites is Hashemite, but the r
esponsibility to protect the sites is a Palestinian, Jordanian, Arab, Islamic and international responsibility.

“Tampering with the holy sites is the spark that will explode the situation much more than what we see now, and Israel is adopting a systematic policy in an attempt to change the Arab, Islamic and Christian identity of the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.”

He accused Israel of violating the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem, “This reflects that there is an Israeli ideology trying to achieve the goal of changing the Arab, Islamic, and Christian identity of the holy sites.”

Safadi said, “We in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan are confronting with all our capabilities, warning of the seriousness of what is happening and exposing the Israeli violations and the seriousness of what it is doing.”

Regarding the responsibility of the international community for what is happening in Jerusalem, Safadi said, “The entire world agrees that the two-state solution is the way to achieve s
ecurity, peace and stability for all and that Israel is preventing the achievement of this solution, not only with its political positions but also with its actions on the ground in terms of expanding settlements.”

Safadi added, “Our message to the international community is that if you want peace and are convinced that the two-state solution is the way to achieve peace, then hold accountable the party that prevents the achievement of this peace.

“We demand the implementation of international law, Security Council resolutions, United Nations resolutions and International Court of Justice resolutions that confirmed that the entire occupation is illegal.

He added, “As long as Israel defies the world and defies international legitimacy resolutions and even refuses the advice of those who support it, all that remains is to say that the only way to deter Israeli aggression is to impose sanctions on Israel and activate the tools provided by international law in terms of the powers of the UN Security Council and
to stop supplying Israel with the weapons it uses to kill innocent people and destroy infrastructure in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon.”

He noted Jordan’s position on displacing Palestinians from the occupied West Bank to the Kingdom, saying, “Our brothers in Egypt said they would not allow the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt, and we support them absolutely in this position.”

Safadi added, “For us, like any government, Jordan’s security and stability are the priority that comes before everything else, and it is the red line that we will do everything we can to prevent Israel from breaching.”

Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan said ties between Turkiye and Jordan are progressing, and there are many identical positions, especially on regional issues. “We regularly consult with our Jordanian brothers and emphasise Jordan’s role and great contributions to the region.”

He expressed Ankara’s aspiration to hold the first meeting of the Joint Economic Committee in the first quarter of 2025 and to in
crease cooperation in defence industries, in addition to signing several agreements.

Fidan accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza for more than a year. “Netanyahu is now striving to occupy Lebanon, step by step, and is attacking UN peacekeeping forces and relief workers.”

He added, “Israel poses a major threat to world peace. Israel is not committing this crime by itself and is not committing this crime alone, but some hold its hands, provide it with weapons and provide it with political support.”

He said Turkiye warned that if the ceasefire in Gaza is not achieved, war and clashes will spread in the region, saying: “Israel’s increasing attacks in Lebanon could be a reason for the situation in the region to get completely out of control, and the only way to ease and overcome the tension is to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza immediately.”

Fidan urged the international community to stop the roar of weapons, rebuild Gaza again, and achieve just and lasting peace, indicating that Israel aims to obstruct th
e two-state solution and the establishment of the Palestinian state.

Fidan said Turkey and Jordan are following up on the case filed by South Africa against Israel in the International Court of Justice and they support South Africa in this case.

Source: Jordan News Agency