Turkish president says human rights are violated across region

(MENAFN) On Monday, Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights is being widely ignored in conflicts across the region, marking the 77th anniversary of the declaration. He highlighted ongoing violations of fundamental rights, particularly the right to life.

Erdogan criticized Israel’s military actions in Gaza and the toppled Baath regime in Syria, stating that the international community has largely failed to hold perpetrators accountable.

“Israel’s war crimes and acts of genocide committed recklessly in Gaza for two years, in full view of the entire world, are the clearest evidence of this,” he said following a Cabinet meeting in Ankara.

The Turkish president stressed that Türkiye continues to pursue “peace- and justice-oriented” policies in conflict-affected regions, citing efforts in Gaza, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, and Libya.

“Türkiye, with its state and people, has taught the world a lesson in human rights through its peace- and justice-oriented efforts in Gaza, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, Libya, in short, in all regions soaked in blood and tears,” he said.

Erdogan also discussed his recent meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, noting ambitions to increase bilateral trade from nearly $6 billion to $10 billion. He praised Hungary’s contributions to the Organization of Turkic States and highlighted that the 2025 Turkic World Summit in Budapest was the first held within the EU.

Erdogan defended Türkiye’s human rights record, noting a 90% compliance rate with European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rulings, above the Council of Europe average. He criticized perceived double standards, arguing that criticism of Türkiye is often ideological while violations by other countries, including Israel, go largely unchallenged. “We will, of course, not pay heed to this. We will continue with determination to strengthen our justice system,” he added.

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