Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus declared on Friday that the international community must no longer stay silent amid ongoing Israeli breaches of international law, according to Anadolu.
Speaking at the European Conference of Presidents of Parliament in Rome, Kurtulmus emphasized, “Impunity must not be allowed to go unchecked.”
He urged the international community to take concrete steps to uphold international law.
He noted that the erosion of the rules‑based international order is starkly reflected in the protracted humanitarian catastrophe and alleged genocide in Gaza.
He warned, “We can no longer turn a blind eye to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and the broader region, the blatant human‑rights violations, and the crimes against humanity committed by the Israeli government against the Palestinian people.”
“This is not merely a political issue; it is a test of humanity’s shared conscience,” he said.
Underlining that Israeli aggression extends beyond Gaza, Kurtulmus said, “Destruction, displacement, and settler violence persist in the West Bank, and Israel continues to threaten the territorial integrity and sovereignty of regional countries, including Syria and Lebanon.”
He stressed that parliaments must step up and assume an active role to help put an immediate end to the suffering of the Gazan people and the violations of international humanitarian law.
Kurtulmus called on parliaments to take an active role in urgently ending the suffering of the people of Gaza and violations of international humanitarian law.
“We believe that coordinated action by parliaments can strengthen international efforts to uphold international law and confront persistent violations,” he added.
International order fails to prevent conflicts
According to Kurtulmus, the current international order has proven its inability to prevent conflicts and wars, even in Europe’s immediate territory.
“The war between Russia and Ukraine, now entering its fifth year, has turned into a war of attrition affecting all of Europe rather than a conflict between two nations,” he said.
Furthermore, the international order has failed to halt the genocide perpetrated by the Israeli government in Gaza for more than three years, Kurtulmus said.
Kurtulmus warned that the rules‑based international order is suffering a profound erosion in terms of legitimacy and function.
He highlighted that to build a fairer and more credible international order, parliaments must play an active role in shaping, debating, and supporting the new rules and arrangements required for this purpose.
“This is where parliamentary diplomacy becomes particularly important. It can complement traditional diplomacy, keep communication channels open, and when necessary create new ones,” he added.
“Placing the entire burden of resolving crises on the UN and relying solely on UN reform will not yield results,” he cautioned.
