Speaker participates in parliamentary meeting supporting Palestine

Ankara, Apr. 18 (BNA): Ahmed bin Salman Al Musallam, Speaker of the Council of Representatives, participated in the meeting of heads of parliaments supporting Palestine, held in the presence of His Excellency Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of the Republic of Türkiye.

During the meeting, the Speaker called on parliaments to use their legislative powers to reinforce support for the two state solution, based on international law and the Arab Peace Initiative. He emphasised the importance of establishing an independent Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Al Musallam stressed the parliamentary responsibility to adopt an action plan to support the resilience of the Palestinian people and urged full endorsement of the outcomes of the Bahrain Declaration announced at the recent emergency Arab summit in Egypt. He also affirmed support for the resolution issued at the 150th General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Uzbekistan, entitled: “The role of parliaments in advancing a two-State solution in Palestine,” adopted with consensus among all geopolitical groups.

He called for an immediate ceasefire, lifting of the blockade on the Gaza Strip, the upholding of Palestinian refugees’ right of return, and rejection of any plans to alter Gaza’s demographic structure.

Al Musallam reiterated the Kingdom of Bahrain’s stance, led by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and supported by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, in backing the Palestinian cause and commitment to a comprehensive and lasting peace.

A roundtable was held following the founding session to consult on operational mechanisms and the working agenda of the newly established parliamentary platform in support of Palestine.

The Kingdom of Bahrain’s proposals were welcomed and incorporated into the final declaration, named the “Istanbul Declaration,” which included 17 provisions. These emphasised commitment to the two-state solution as the only path to lasting peace, stability, and security in the Middle East, and highlighted the role of parliamentary diplomacy in addressing the political, security, and humanitarian situation in Palestine.

The declaration also commended the steadfastness of the Palestinian people and called for accountability for serious crimes and violations against civilians through national and international justice mechanisms.