NEW YORK: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday that hostility toward Islam and Islamophobia were spreading around the world “like an epidemic” as he addressed the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Erdogan also questioned the effectiveness of the United Nations and called for reforms to the organization, saying it was established to maintain international peace and security but was no longer able to fully carry out that mission.
The Turkish president made the Palestinian issue a major focus of his address. He criticized the absence of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas from the General Assembly for a second consecutive year and said Türkiye would continue to speak at the UN for an independent and sovereign Palestinian state.
Abbas was denied a US visa for the second consecutive year, according to Reuters.
Erdogan called on countries that have not recognized a Palestinian state to consider doing so and urged the international community to take steps to protect Palestinians and address the situation in Gaza.
He also raised the Kashmir issue, saying disputes in South Asia, including Kashmir, should be addressed through dialogue within the framework of the UN Charter and relevant resolutions.
Erdogan further called for reforms to the UN Security Council, arguing that the current structure has weakened the organization's ability to respond effectively to global conflicts.
