Turkish parliament speaker calls for Israel’s suspension from UN

Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş called on Wednesday for Israel’s suspension from the United Nations, speaking at the 152nd Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) General Assembly in Istanbul. He criticized Israel’s move to introduce a death penalty bill for Palestinian prisoners and recalled the UN’s suspension of apartheid-era South Africa in 1974 as a precedent.

Accusations of apartheid

Kurtulmuş argued that Israel is applying similar practices against Palestinians, including plans to impose the death penalty in the West Bank. “Is it not apartheid to apply one law for Palestinians and another for Israelis in a single country?” he said. He also criticized the UN, stating it “has become an international institution directed in line with the wishes of those who hold power” and has failed to stop recent conflicts, particularly in Gaza.

Regional sovereignty and global governance

Kurtulmuş noted that many Middle Eastern countries have faced violations of their sovereignty, including Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Yemen, Qatar, Bahrain, and the UAE. He underlined that all states have equal sovereign rights, saying: “Ensuring this is a shared responsibility of the human family.” On the sidelines, he met with Oman’s Shura Council Chairman, expressing regret over challenges Oman faced after US-Israeli attacks on Iran and calling for resuming Pakistan-mediated talks to turn the ceasefire into a lasting one.