Turkish parliament speaker says ending Israeli aggression key to ensuring world peace

Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus said on Monday that ending the Israeli government's actions would not only allow Palestinians to live in peace but would also help secure world peace.

Speaking at the opening of the NATO Parliamentary Summit in Istanbul, Kurtulmus said there could be no lasting peace in the world without peace in the Middle East and no peace in the Middle East without peace for Palestinians.

"The end of these acts of aggression by the Israeli government would not only allow Palestinians to attain peace and tranquility, but would also mean securing world peace," he said.

Kurtulmus reiterated Türkiye's support for the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, adding that "there is no other way forward than a two-state solution."

He also called on NATO members and the international community to support ongoing peace initiatives in the region.

Referring to the recent memorandum of understanding between Iran and the US, the official said negotiations that started in Switzerland offered hope for a "lasting and just peace."

"We hope that they will ultimately lead to a lasting and just peace, not merely a ceasefire, but a genuine peace settlement," he said.

Kurtulmus also highlighted Ankara's previous mediation efforts, including facilitating the Black Sea Grain Initiative and multiple prisoner exchanges between Ukraine and Russia.

On defense cooperation, he said Türkiye had made significant progress in its defense industry and was prepared to share its capabilities with allies.

Kurtulmus also reaffirmed Türkiye's commitment to the NATO target of allocating 5% of gross domestic product to defense spending and criticized defense industry embargoes imposed by some allies as "unilateral, meaningless and contrary to the spirit of the alliance."

He said the world and NATO were at a "historic crossroads" and called for cooperation to help establish "a new, just and equitable world order."