Turkiye Lauds Malaysia’s Leadership On Gaza, Calls For Greater Unity

KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 (Bernama) -- Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan lauded Malaysia’s principled stance on Gaza, praising Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s vocal advocacy and moral leadership on the international stage.

“We really appreciate what Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is really standing for when it comes to Gaza, defending al-Aqsa Mosque, the rights of oppressed Palestinians, and the freedom of occupied Palestinian territory.

“This is a moment that calls for standing shoulder to shoulder,” he said when appearing as a guest on Bernama TV’s The Nation: Diplomatic Dispatch current affairs programme, titled ‘Malaysia, Turkiye and the ASEAN Outlook’, aired on Friday.

Fidan also condemned the ongoing atrocities in the enclave as a stain on the global conscience.

Expressing his deepest regret and condemnation over the ongoing genocide in Gaza, which continues to inflict unimaginable suffering upon the Palestinian people, he said, “The ongoing genocide in Gaza is something that burns us deep inside.”

“It is a big failure for humanity in general, but also for Muslims in particular. So, as an important part of Muslim ummah, Malaysia, like Turkiye and other countries, has responsibility to shoulder on the Gaza issue”, he said.

Asked about the risks smaller nations like Malaysia might face in taking a firm stand, especially against the perpetrators of the violence, the minister acknowledged the reality of geopolitical pressures.

Malaysia’s distance from the Middle East, Fidan added, does not diminish the moral and strategic weight of its position.

“I think as long as we are on the right side of the history, it doesn't matter who says what or who applies pressure, because we are defending the right position,” he said.

He also said that the people of Gaza—over two million of them—are being held hostage in conditions that resemble the concentration camps of the Second World War.

“People deliberately and intentionally subjected to starvation, harsh weather and everything else. We cannot let this continue”, he added.

Fidan is in Kuala Lumpur for high-level talks held in conjunction with the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) and related meetings.

-- BERNAMA