REPUBLIC OF TÜRKİYE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE

MINISTER TUNÇ: ISRAELI OFFICIALS WHO COMMITTED WAR CRIMES AND MURDERED CHILDREN MUST BE BROUGHT BEFORE THE COURT

Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç stated that the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court should turn the file into a case as soon as possible and said: “Those Israeli officials, especially Netanyahu, who committed war crimes, committed crimes of aggression, murdered children, and committed genocide should be brought before the court.”

Speaking at the 5th Conference of the Inter-Parliamentary Jerusalem Platform, Minister Tunç indicated that he sincerely believed that the conference would produce very useful results, especially in terms of drawing the world’s attention to the ongoing crime against humanity in Palestine.

Underlining that this problem will not be solved without the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, Minister of Justice Tunç said: “As Türkiye, we will continue to defend and support the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on every platform.”

ISRAEL HAS BEEN ACTING LIKE A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION FOR ALMOST A CENTURY

Pointing out that 70 percent of more than 34 thousand Palestinians martyred in the Israeli attacks since October 7 are children and women, Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç continued as follows:

“Unfortunately, a crime against humanity, a human tragedy continues to take place in front of the eyes of the world. More than 77 thousand Palestinian brothers and sisters have been injured. Cities have been destroyed, hospitals, schools, refugee camps, marketplaces, places of worship have been razed and bombed. 2.5 million people have unfortunately been left without food and water. It is indisputable that the recent attacks in Palestine are a crime against humanity, a crime of genocide, a war crime.”

Minister Tunç reminded that the United Nations (UN) and the UN Security Council have so far adopted more than 60 resolutions on Israel's unjust attacks and human rights violations and said: “It is not possible to call a state that does not comply with the resolutions and laws of international organizations, violates human rights and does so systematically a state. Israel has been acting like a terrorist organization for almost a century.”

DOES THE RIGHT TO LIFE, WHICH THE WEST KEEPS REPEATING, EXIST IN PALESTINE?

Emphasizing that Israel is violating the most basic human rights in Palestine with its attacks, Minister Tunç continued as follows:

“Does the right to life, which the West and human rights defenders constantly repeat, exist in Palestine? Can we talk about the right to life in a place where thousands of people are martyred? Why do not those who defend the right to life raise their voices? Does anyone raise a voice when the freedom of religion and conscience are violated by the obstruction of worship at Al-Aqsa Mosque? Have you ever heard a Westerner say 'the right to liberty and security is being violated in Palestine' when 12-13-year-old children are being arrested? While the right to property, one of the most basic human rights, is being violated, have you ever heard human rights defenders say, 'the right to property is being violated in Palestine'?”

Minister of Justice Tunç stated that the principles of humanitarian law in the Geneva Convention have also been violated, especially in the attacks since October 7, and that in the latest case filed at the International Court of Justice with the application of South Africa, an injunction was issued to prevent the massacre of children, crime against humanity and genocide, but that there was no mechanism to implement this injunction.

Expressing that they will continue to raise their voices so that this decision can be brought to the UN Security Council by the International Criminal Court and enforced as soon as possible and the massacres there can stop, Minister Tunç said: “The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court should turn the file into a case as soon as possible and those Israeli officials, especially Netanyahu, who committed war crimes, committed crimes of aggression, murdered children, and committed genocide should be brought before the court.”

Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç pointed out that there are important applications from lawyers and non-governmental organizations, especially from Türkiye, regarding the evidence and said: “Our Anadolu Agency has submitted the evidence, especially in terms of images and videos, to the International Criminal Court and the prosecutor's office, but unfortunately, we continue to see that the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has not acted on this issue.”

Explaining how President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a leader who defends Palestine on every platform, faced an attack by those who own the media order in the world after his “one minute” speech in Davos in 2009, Tunç said: “There is only one leader in the world who defends human rights, fairness, justice and who says: ‘A fairer world is possible, the international system cannot respond to the problems of humanity, it is ineffective’. And that is Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.”

WE WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN INDEPENDENT PALESTINIAN STATE

Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç commented about a post shared by the Israeli Foreign Minister on a social media platform and said: “It goes without saying here. The post of the Israeli Foreign Minister, who wants to overshadow the inhumane, child-murdering, genocidal crimes he committed, that immoral post will not overshadow the crimes there. Israel is condemned in the conscience of humanity.”

Referring to the protests by university students in some countries, Minister Tunç said: “Today, in the universities of the USA, in different countries of Europe, the conscience of humanity is taking to the streets and protesting against the Israeli aggressors. Eventually, the Israeli aggressors will appear before humanity and they will be punished for this crime they have committed and they will be held accountable before humanity.”

Underlining that this problem will not disappear without the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, Minister Tunç said: “As Türkiye, we will continue to defend and support the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on every platform.”