Turkey has condemned the invasion of Lebanon launched last night after the Israeli army started a ground operation across the border, in what Ankara described as a violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and an illegal act of occupation, warning that the Netanyahu government’s actions will only contribute to a new wave of refugees and give wings to extremist groups.
In a statement released by the foreign ministry, the Turkish government stressed that ‘this attack must come to an end immediately, and Israeli troops must withdraw from Lebanese territory’, and condemned the Israeli invasion as endangering security not only in the Middle East, but also in other countries.
‘This dangerous invasion attempt is likely to spark a new wave of migration and to give ground to extremists all around the world. These developments will also affect the countries that provide political support and arms to Israel,’ the statement warned in a clear reference to the United States, calling on the UN Security Council to take immediate action to stop the Israeli attack.
‘Every crime committed by Israel is also a blow to international law and the UN Charter,’ the statement from Ankara warned, insisting that the main step to be taken to restore calm in the region is to ‘achieve immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza‘. ‘Bringing peace to Gaza is the responsibility of the entire humanity,’ concluded the Turkish ministerial statement.
Erdoğan calls for use of force in Gaza
In this regard, and following a meeting of his cabinet of ministers late yesterday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan again lashed out at Israel’s policies in the region and condemned the Israeli army’s attacks in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon.
‘Defending Palestine and Lebanon today means defending humanity, peace and coexistence between different religions,’ said the Turkish leader, who had no qualms about criticising what he described as ‘a handful of radical Zionists, blinded by blood and hatred’ who fuel tensions in the Middle East and the world, referring to Netanyahu‘s government.
‘We will never accept this cruelty and barbarism. The international community can no longer remain silent in the face of Israel’s aggressiveness, which is setting the whole region on fire. If the Security Council does not have the necessary will, the authority of the General Assembly to recommend the use of force, as was the case in the Unity for Peace Resolution of 1950, must be invoked immediately,’ the Turkish president said.
The aforementioned UN resolution, passed on 3 November 1950, empowers the UN General Assembly to take action if the Security Council fails to fulfil its responsibilities for the maintenance of global peace and security because of opposition from one of the five permanent members (the US, Russia, China, France and the UK). In such a case, the UN General Assembly can convene an emergency session and approve, if necessary, collective measures – including the use of force – to restore international peace and security.
Thousands of Lebanese have fled areas of Lebanon south of the Litani River – an area controlled by Hezbollah – in recent hours in the face of the ground invasion launched by Israel – which has declared the region a ‘military zone’ – fearing that what the Netanyahu government has described as ‘limited ground operations’ will quickly turn into a full-scale invasion and an all-out war to drive Hezbollah out of the region. Israeli aircraft have also again bombed several neighbourhoods south of Beirut, and Syrian media also report Israeli air strikes around Damascus.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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