Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara. Earlier, Qureshi tweeted that he met the Turkish Foreign Minister and expressed full support to the people of Palestine.
In his tweet, Qureshi wrote: Met brother FM @MevlutCavusoglu in Ankara today. Nothing can shake our resolve as we stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Palestine in their legitimate right to self-determination & establishment of an independent state with pre-1967 borders & Al Quds Al Shareef as capital.
Met brother FM @MevlutCavusoglu in Ankara today. Nothing can shake our resolve as we stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Palestine in their legitimate right to self-determination & establishment of independent state with pre-1967 borders & Al Quds Al Shareef as capital. pic.twitter.com/IWGteKcmcj
— Shah Mahmood Qureshi (@SMQureshiPTI) May 18, 2021
In an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency, Qureshi said his country is banking on the UN General Assembly to play its role to evolve a consensus that leads to a cease-fire, de-escalation and an end to the atrocities in Palestine.
Regarding the US’ veto power on the Security Council, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that public opinion, should veto the veto power and if public opinion changes, governments that exercise veto power, are compelled to revisit policies and are compelled to rethink.
President @RTErdogan received Foreign Minister of Pakistan Shah Mahmood Qureshi at Çankaya Presidential Palace. pic.twitter.com/hDPh1Aldy0
— Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye (@trpresidency) May 18, 2021
Qureshi will be attending an emergency session of the UN General Assembly on the issue of the latest Israeli assaults on Palestine on May 20. The president of the UN General Assembly said Tuesday that he is ready to convene a meeting to discuss the situation in East Jerusalem if requested by any member.
Turkey and Pakistan are also talking to the leaders of many countries regarding the situation in Gaza. Turkish President Erdoğan spoke to the heads of many Islamic nations and urged the Islamic world to unite against Israel.
A similar appeal is being made by Pakistan. The Pakistani Foreign Minister also called Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and sought support on the Palestine issue. China had said that it stands with the legitimate rights of the Palestinians.
Pakistan and Turkey have been extremely vocal on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Turkey and Pakistan are demanding the UN Security Council to stop Israeli action immediately.
China Blames The US
China criticized the United States for its role in the Middle East tensions, adding that its veto has paralyzed the Security Council. In a statement issued on late Tuesday, the Foreign Ministry urged a complete ceasefire by Israel in Palestine.
“What the US does amid the Palestine-Israel conflict is deeply disappointing. Is this the human rights US touts around when Palestinian people suffer, or is it an excuse to serve US self-interest?” Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said in a short statement posted on Twitter.
“Is this what the US calls rule-based international order?” the spokesman questioned.
In a press briefing earlier in the day, Lijian said the US rather than taking proactive measures to forestall the Palestine-Israel conflict, stands ready to fuel the tension.
“The US has been isolated at the Security Council unprecedentedly and is standing on the opposite side of mankind’s conscience and morality,” he said. He was referring to the UNSC’s previous efforts for a statement demanding an immediate cease-fire which have all been blocked by the US.
“The international community is deeply upset by how the US has behaved in the Palestine-Israel conflict. People can’t help but ask, is this the diplomacy featuring so-called human rights and values the US claims to champion?
“Why has the US been so callous about the Palestinian people’s human rights while it keeps talking about upholding Muslims’ human rights?” he asked.
Lijian also accused Washington of its favoritism and said the US only cares about its interests, not the merit of the matter itself.
“Isn’t it just using human rights as a pretext? The US opposition has held back the Security Council from taking actions on the Palestine-Israel conflicts, is this what the US calls rules-based international order?” he added.
He was skeptical over reports that US President Joe Biden supports a cease-fire in the Israel-Palestine crisis and said Biden’s saying that the US supports a cease-fire is not enough.
He reassured that his country will continue to push the Security Council to fulfill its duty.
