AK Party spokesperson Ömer Çelik said after a party meeting in Ankara on Tuesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was trying to use opposition to President Erdoğan in his election campaign because of his declining support. Çelik argued that statements from Israel targeting Türkiye and President Erdoğan had no value.
The second phase of the ceasefire in Gaza
Çelik alleged that the Israeli government was trying to prevent the implementation of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza. He said Hamas had agreed to move to the second phase and that Israel was also preventing sufficient humanitarian aid from reaching Gaza.
Çelik said Palestinians continued to lose their lives because of Israel’s attacks and noted that new steps were also being taken in the West Bank. Referring to areas that Israel describes as settlements as “areas of plunder and occupation,” Çelik said he did not consider it accurate to call those who seize Palestinian land “settlers.”
Çelik said Türkiye was doing everything it could to oppose efforts targeting Palestinian land in the West Bank and noted that President Erdoğan was conducting intensive diplomatic efforts on the issue. Çelik said Netanyahu was trying to build his election campaign around opposition to Erdoğan as his political position weakened.
The Mecca joint defense agreement
Çelik said the Mecca joint defense agreement submitted to the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye would be implemented by Türkiye within the framework of parliamentary approval and constitutional procedures. Çelik argued that the agreement was being subject to provocation and misinformation, adding that some groups were questioning whether it was an alternative to NATO.
Emphasizing that the agreement was not an alternative to NATO, Çelik described the Mecca joint defense agreement as a mechanism that complements the international security structure. He said the agreement aimed to strengthen deterrence and support peace and stability across the region stretching from the Eastern Mediterranean to the Red Sea and the Gulf.
President Erdoğan of Türkiye, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman signed the Mecca joint defense agreement on August 7. The agreement aims to strengthen the security of the three countries through joint deterrence and defense.
Attacks targeting Saudi Arabia
Assessing the attacks targeting Saudi Arabia, Çelik said Türkiye categorically condemned them. He said attacks targeting Mecca were entirely unacceptable and that missile and drone attacks targeting Riyadh, the Eastern Province, Najran, Abha and Khamis Mushait threatened not only Saudi Arabia but also regional security.
Çelik warned that the continuation of instability in the Strait of Hormuz alongside discussions concerning the Bab el-Mandeb Strait could create a scenario with grave consequences not only for regional security but also for world peace. He said maritime transport in the Strait of Hormuz must be secured and attacks targeting countries in the region must end.
Çelik said the Houthis had increased their military activities targeting Saudi Arabia since July and that fighting between the Houthis and government forces in Yemen was continuing. He said the attacks in October also targeted airports in Riyadh, Abha, Jizan, Najran and Dammam, as well as oil facilities and military sites.
Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition supporting the Yemeni government since March 2015. The Houthis have controlled the capital Sana’a and various parts of the country since September 2014.
