Parliamentary Group in Solidarity With Palestine, A Turkish Initiative to Halt Israeli Genocide

Launched in Istanbul on April 18, 2025, the Parliamentary Group in Solidarity With Palestine is a powerful call of conscience against the global silence surrounding the Israeli Occupation’s ongoing assault on Gaza.

The unprecedented initiative brings together senior parliamentarians from 13 countries in an effort to form a unified diplomatic front to stop a war that has raged for more than a year and a half. It follows a devastating toll: over 51,000 Palestinians killed, most of them women and children, tens of thousands injured, and thousands still missing, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics on April 20, 2025.

As the group takes shape, questions arise: Will this parliamentary effort be heard amid the Arab and Muslim world's silence and international complicity in the ongoing genocide?

Group Formation

The group was formed during a high-level international meeting hosted in Istanbul, spearheaded by Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus. Attendees included parliamentary leaders from Palestine, Qatar, the UAE, Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Senegal, Jordan, Bahrain, Algeria, Egypt, and Azerbaijan. Spain’s parliament speaker also joined the meeting via video call.

Upon its launch, the group announced it aims to serve as a collaborative platform for dialogue and a strong diplomatic voice for Palestine, especially at a time when Israeli atrocities and human rights violations continue unabated across the occupied territories.

Erdogan's Speech

The official opening session of the parliamentary meeting featured a speech by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, followed by remarks from the Turkish Parliament Speaker and the head of the Palestinian National Council, along with statements from parliamentary leaders and representatives. All expressed strong support for Palestine and condemned Israeli Occupation’s aggression.

In his address, Erdogan stated that “what Israel is doing in Gaza is no longer just aggression, it has become a direct threat to the security of the entire region.”

He warned that “those who fan the flames today may find themselves trapped by them tomorrow.”

“Defending Palestine is defending human dignity, global peace, and the very values the West claims to uphold, yet violates when it comes to Palestinians.”

“The massacres committed by Israel in Gaza have exposed the hypocrisy of so-called Western values,” he added.

Turning to the Muslim world, Erdogan expressed disappointment, saying, “Unfortunately, the Islamic world has not lived up to expectations. It is time to act, together and decisively.”

Speeches by Attendees

Following President Erdogan’s address, Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus opened his speech by stressing that “the key to global peace passes through the gate of Palestine.” He called on countries that have yet to recognize the State of Palestine to reconsider their stance and join this emerging parliamentary voice.

Kurtulmus emphasized that the newly formed group is more than a symbolic gesture, it’s the beginning of a coordinated, permanent parliamentary movement. Its primary goal, he explained, is to advocate for global recognition of the Palestinian state, push for an end to the war, and open humanitarian corridors for the besieged people of Gaza.

Palestinian National Council President Rawhi Fattouh described the parliamentary initiative as a turning point in the international movement for the Palestinian cause. He warned that the Palestinian people are facing an “unprecedented and systematic genocide” by the Israeli Occupation forces and urged intensified parliamentary and international pressure to halt the ongoing atrocities in Gaza.

Qatar’s Shura Council Speaker Hassan bin Abdullah al-Ghanim called for an immediate and complete end to Israeli Occupation’s assault on Gaza, saying that halting the aggression is the first and essential step toward any fair and lasting political solution. He added that continued massacres, targeting of civilians, and denial of basic necessities render political dialogue meaningless.

The Final Statement

After a series of speeches echoing similar concerns and demands, the Parliamentary Group issued a joint final statement. It urged the international community to take a firm stance to end the genocide “Israel” has been committing against Palestinians in Gaza for over a year and a half.

The group condemned the ongoing international silence, calling it an unjustifiable failure that contradicts human values and international law. The statement stressed the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire and the unimpeded opening of humanitarian corridors.

It called for guaranteed access to emergency aid for civilians to prevent a worsening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

Finally, the statement reaffirmed the multi-religious character of Occupied Jerusalem and called for the protection of the city’s historic and legal status, particularly at its Islamic and Christian holy sites.

A New Initiative

This newly formed parliamentary group is not the first of its kind dedicated to the Palestinian cause and international legislative advocacy for Palestinian rights. One notable example is the Parliamentarians for al-Quds and Palestine, founded on October 15, 2015, by a group of lawmakers supportive of Palestinian rights.

Headquartered in Istanbul, the association currently brings together around 1,500 current and former parliamentarians from across the globe. Its executive committee includes members from Palestine, Turkiye, Yemen, Jordan, Algeria, Kuwait, Italy, Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Colombia, Senegal, South Africa, Nigeria, and Brazil.

According to its official website, the association seeks to build a broad parliamentary movement in support of the Palestinian people's right to freedom and the establishment of an independent state with al-Quds (Occupied Jerusalem) as its capital. This is pursued by uniting the efforts of parliamentarians and developing mechanisms to serve the cause of al-Quds and Palestine in parliaments and legal institutions, in accordance with UN resolutions and international human rights principles.

Commenting on the new initiative, Palestinian analyst Mohammed Makram described it as “a commendable step toward breaking the international silence complicit in Israel’s aggression on Gaza.” 

“This initiative represents the voice of free peoples who have not been numbed by interests or blinded to the daily massacres of civilians,” he told Al-Estiklal.

“This parliamentary call has brought together lawmakers from various countries in an attempt to build a global front capable of exposing the Israeli Occupation and holding it accountable before international public opinion.”

However, Makram cautioned that while the step is important, “statements alone are no longer sufficient. The Israeli Occupation has crossed all red lines, committing increasingly brazen crimes while international reactions remain stuck in symbolic and rhetorical gestures.”

“With every bomb that falls on Gaza,” he added, “the gap between the tragic reality and timid responses grows wider. It’s no longer enough for parliaments to issue condemnations. What’s needed is tangible action, political, legal, and economic.” 

“If we continue relying on statements without real movement and fail to pressure Islamic governments to act beyond words, Gaza will be lost, and the Palestinian cause will regress by decades. We are facing unprecedented American-Zionist schemes, unlike anything we've witnessed before.”