Erdoğan heads to New York to address UN General Assembly

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will attend the 79th U.N. General Assembly where he will address other world leaders on current global issues, particularly the ongoing Israeli massacres against civilians in Gaza and the West Bank.

Erdoğan and his wife, first lady Emine Erdoğan, will be in New York between Sept. 21 and 25 along with a large delegation, including Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

The president will address the General Assembly on Sept. 24, on the first day of a high-level debate. This will mark the first General Assembly since the war between Israel and Hamas broke out in October 2023, which killed more than 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza.

The continued massacres by the Israeli army will be one of the top issues Erdoğan will raise during his speech. As one of the loudest critics of Israel, he has been accusing the Israeli government of conducting genocide on the Palestinians.

Türkiye has filed a request with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to join South Africa's genocide lawsuit against Israel.

Erdoğan is expected to call on countries to get involved in the case and recognize Palestine as a state, in a bid to increase pressure on Israel to stop its offensive.

The Turkish government has also been urging the international community about the spread of the conflict to the Middle East by Israel. Israel's killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh and its attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon are seen as signals of further escalation in the region.

Another important issue Erdoğan will raise is the ongoing Russian occupation of Ukraine. Erdoğan often criticizes the prominent Western powers for delaying the peace between the two countries.

Türkiye has long been mediating between Kiev and Moscow...