Amman, Sept. 23 (Petra) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday urged all countries that have yet to recognize the State of Palestine to do so, denouncing what he described as an ongoing genocide in Gaza.

In an address to the opening of the high-level debate of the 80th UN General Assembly in New York, Erdogan said Gaza’s residents "are not only being killed by weapons but also by starvation" and voiced regret over the absence of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas from the gathering.

He warned that grave events were casting a dark shadow over the UN Charter, noting that the war in Gaza has dragged on for more than 700 days, with over 20,000 children killed. "There is no logic that justifies Israel’s brutality in Gaza. What is happening now is one of humanity’s darkest moments," he said.

Erdogan said Israel is displacing Gaza’s residents, targeting hospitals, and depriving the enclave of medicine, adding that the mass killings were being broadcast live. He added that Israel deliberately killed 250 journalists and that the UN itself had failed to protect its own staff in Gaza.

"We cannot remain silent about what is happening in Gaza," Erdogan stressed, asserting that despite attempts at censorship, Israel has been unable to hide the reality of the situation.

//Petra// AF