- 3 نيسان 2023
- مقابلة خاصة
By: Gürcan Türkoğlu *
The occupation of the Palestinian territories and its humanitarian consequences continue to be a core issue affecting peace and security in the region and in the world, underlying many global frictions, with cultural, psychological and sociological dimensions as well.
Palestinian people deserve our gratitude for showing all of us in
the international community the meaning and value of decently struggling for a just cause and resisting to unlawful occupation and assaults.
This is why the just cause of Palestinians has, since long, been a matter of universal justice and conscience.
This is why individuals, communities, nations and governments from all over the world stretching from Americas to Africa, from Europe to Far East , in addition to Arab and Muslim countries, have been displaying their solidarity with the Palestinian people since decades.
The Palestinian cause has also been justified and legitimized by many resolutions of the United Nations and other international or regional institutions, including the European Union and the OIC.
This body of international instruments have created a strong legal and political basis in favor of the State of Palestine and for those working in solidarity with its people.
Therefore supporting such a cause is not only a moral but also a legal obligation for the international community.
During my term of duty representing Turkey in Palestine for almost two years , I have personally witnessed and moved by the resilience, dignity, pride and also dynamism and talents of the Palestinian people maintained under the harshest conditions of occupation by a foreign power.
Therefore my following remarks can be taken as a testimony of my daily observations of life and conditions at the Palestinian territories, namely West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gazza.
Also representing Turkey in UNRWA Advisory Committee, I have followed closely the plight of the Palestinian refugees and their camps dispersed in various countries.
Indeed, Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories is a multi-faceted, multi-layered complex system operated with advanced technological, military and economic means and administrative and political instruments which affects negatively all Palestinians in all spheres of their lives.All spheres of life, including for example:
- Difficulties of access to health and sanitation, including access to water resources including drinking water, damage to the environment and natural and rural life; for example the olive trees and orchards which are considered natural heritage and symbols of Palestine which are often targeted and burned by the settlers;
- Limitations in access to education, academic facilities, pressures on university students and academicians by the occupation forces, restrictions on cultural and religious rights especially in East Jerusalem and damage of the cultural heritage or prevention of its protection.
- Hindrances on political and civil rights , freedom of expression and demonstration , free communication and press activities,
- Difficulties in civic issues including marriage, family reunification, residence and registry procedures , birth certificates, travel permits, in certain graveyards and burial procedures.
- Barriers to free trade and business, banking, finance, agricultural and industrial activities of Palestinian citizens and companies and their foreign partners.
- Measures affecting housing and urban life including the illegal house demolitions and property and land acquisitions and forced displacement of families and farmers by the occupation.
- National and international travel, customs and circulation restrictions including the closure of Gaza strip....
All these mean that Palestinians from all age groups, from all segments of the society, from a newborn baby and pregnant woman to the highest officials, and from birth to death, even sometimes after their death during the funeral or in their graveyards suffer in different ways from deprivation or violation of their basic rights as human beings in all spheres of their lives .
According to the statistics, a majority of the Palestinian population have faced arrest, imprisonment, insult, torture, inhuman or degrading treatment, interrogation or punishment by the occupation.
Loss of human lives and other casualties on daily basis continue to be tragic consequences of military actions of the occupation which deepen the suffering of Palestinian families, especially the mothers and children.
I have witnessed immense issues in every each of these items on daily basis.
I have personally met and known individuals, families, merchants, businessmen, academicians, teachers, politicians, imams and priests, diplomats, workers, farmers, artists, refugees, former prisoners, families of the prisoners and children with histories of suffering from such effects of occupation in whole or most part of their lives.
Deliberate division and barriers
have been created between the occupied territories, through checkpoints , wired or concrete walls and other instruments including administrative ones.
This has been enhanced by the illegal settlements as would be clearly seen by looking through a map of settlements. Provocations, incitements and assaults by illegal settlers make the situation much more unsupportable.
Actually, all the facts mentioned above have been well documented in the annual reports and other documents of the United Nations and its expert agencies in different fields comprehensively and objectively.
One of the overall conclusions is that, as a result of the occupation policies , the economic and social situation in the occupied Palestinian territories remains dire, GDP per capita is in sharp decline, economic stagnation or decline, unemployment and poverty is persisten
As a former Chairperson of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee I would like to bring to your attention an important issue of freedom of worship and protection of cultural heritage at Al Quds or Old City of Jerusalem which is very much related to the foundation of the OIC after the arson attack on Masjid Al Aqsa in 1969 .
unfortunately, access restrictions, increased intrusions, provocations by settlers and extremist groups, prevention of conservation and renovation work carried out by the Jordanian Jerusalem Awqaf, the closure of buildings and damage to the structure and furniture of Al Aqsa Mosque, excavations and tunnelling around, underground works, demolitions by the occupation forces continue. All these violations of the relevant UNESCO and WHC resolutions affect El Haram Al Sharif /Masjid Al Aqsa and also Christian churches and holy sites.
Israel furthermore, refuses to allow a UNESCO permanent representative to be stationed in East Jerusalem to report on a regular basis about all aspects covering the fields of competence of UNESCO in East Jerusalem.
Palestinian World Heritage sites in El Khalil and Beytullahim also suffer from restrictions. Bans of access for Palestinian Muslim and Christian worshippers , illegal excavations, constructions by Israeli authorities and settlers, continue according to UNESCO reports.
This I think is another important dimension of the problem, not only related to cultural identity and rights of the Palestinian people but also cultural heritage belonging to humanity and which needs to be addressed by all.
Against this negative panorama of the situation, I can mention two positive notes as my observations in Palestine.
One of them is the wise, prudent , patient and strategic approach of the Palestinian Leadership and Government to strengthen its
institutions , basic service delivery and improve day-to-day life of its citizens on one hand, and restoring hope for a two state solution through maintaining its close contact with the international community on the other hand.
I have also appreciated the Palestinian officials’ efforts to create a culture of peace that allows for mutual understanding and co-existence, although the presence of occupation continues to be a major factor of incitement .
A second positive phenomena I witnessed during my stay, was increasing visits by tourist groups from Turkey and European citizens or residents of Muslim origin to Palestine, with an itinerary including East Jerusalem and West Bank in the context of religious-cultural travels.
I have observed that such solidarity trips, made the Palestinian people feel less isolated, made a modest contribution to business in tourism sector and crowded the Masjid al Aqsa at prayer times, thus creating one of the very few positive changes in the field that I have observed during my term of office. Unfortunately such trips have now decreased for some reasons, including the covid-19 epidemics, economic reasons and certain visa restrictions.
Peace negotiations between Palestine and Israel continue to remain the only way to achieve peace and bring the occupation of the Palestinian territories to an end, thus ending the plight of the Palestinian people and securing normalcy and stability for the people of Israel. Such a result would also mean a lot for peace and security in the Middle East and and the world.
*(The article above, is based on a statement by Mr. Gürcan Türkoğlu delivered at the Panel on Palestine during the International Seminar organized by the OIC Independent Commission on Human Rights in İstanbul on 17 February 2022. Mr. Gürcan Türkoğlu is a retired Ambassador. He represented Turkey in Palestine, Iran and at UNESCO as ambassador. He also served at Turkish missions in Jeddah, Oslo, Madrid, Damascus,
New York (UN) and Baghdad. At home, he served as senior foreign policy advisor to the 11th President of the Republic H.E. Abdullah Gül. He also served temporarily as Chairman of The UNESCO World Heritage Committee and Vice-President of the UNESCO National Commission of Turkey .He was awarded with the Order of Star of Friendship by H.E.Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine, in recognition of his efforts in supporting the Palestinian people and their just cause. )
