ALWAGHT- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan asserts that no force can expel Palestinians from their "eternal" homeland, emphasizing that Gaza, the occupied West Bank, and East Jerusalem al-Quds rightfully belong to them.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan firmly rejected former US President Donald Trump's proposal to remove Gazans and place Gaza under US control. Speaking at a news conference on Sunday night before departing for Malaysia, Erdogan stated that no power can force the people of Gaza out of their ancestral homeland, which has existed for thousands of years. He reiterated that Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem rightfully belong to the Palestinian people.
Trump's controversial plan was discussed during his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, where he suggested that the US could "take over" Gaza and relocate its residents as part of a redevelopment initiative. He envisioned transforming the war-ravaged territory into "the Riviera of the Middle East" and proposed that displaced Gazans be resettled in neighboring countries such as Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. This idea sparked widespread outrage across the Arab and Muslim world.
Netanyahu echoed similar sentiments in a TV interview on Thursday, suggesting that Saudi Arabia, with its vast land, could establish a Palestinian state on its territory. His remarks were met with fierce condemnation, as many viewed them as an expansionist attempt to further displace Palestinians and seize more land. In response, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Sunday, categorically rejecting any proposals that would forcibly remove Palestinians from Gaza and reaffirming its support for Palestinian sovereignty.
