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Erdoğan pledges Turkey will keep supporting oppressed

"We will continue to be with all oppressed people and victims from Palestine to Syria and Asia to Africa," Turkish President Erdoğan said via a message on the occasion of global Human Rights Day.

Anadolu Agency WORLD
Published December 10,2017
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Turkey would keep supporting all the oppressed people across the world, Turkish president said on Saturday.

"We will continue to be with all oppressed people and victims from Palestine to Syria and Asia to Africa," Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in a message on the occasion of global Human Rights Day, which falls on Dec. 10 every year.

This year, it will be the 69th anniversary of the proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Turkish president said the terror groups such as Daesh, the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), PKK and its Syrian offshoot YPG, Boko Haram, and Al-Shabaab were the biggest enemies of mankind.

"Turkey, without making any distinction, will carry out its fight against terror in a decisive manner under law and democracy," Erdoğan said.

"Respect for human rights based on the principles of equality and non-discrimination of individuals before the law is the irreplaceable nature of the Republic of Turkey," he added.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım also marked the day with a message, saying the international community failed to take common and effective measures against terrorism, racism, intolerance, discrimination, Islamophobia, and xenophobia.

"The latest example of this is what happened in Jerusalem," said Yildirim, referring to the recent situation in Jerusalem and "the pressure applied on the Palestinians."

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump -- reversing decades of U.S. policy -- announced his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move Washington's Israel embassy to the city.

The dramatic shift in Washington's Jerusalem policy triggered demonstrations in the occupied Palestinian territories, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Algeria, Iraq and other Muslim countries.

Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem -- now occupied by Israel -- might eventually serve as the capital of a Palestinian state.

The premier emphasized that it was the basis of the state that citizens enjoy their basic rights and freedoms individually, regardless of their origins, in an equal and free way before the law.

He said that the primary duty of the states is to ensure honorable standard of living for all the people and to protect them against injustice.