Türkiye’s Parliament Speaker Pushes to Strip Israel of UN Membership

(MENAFN) Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus escalated diplomatic pressure on Israel Wednesday, calling for its suspension from the United Nations and drawing direct parallels to the international community's historic isolation of apartheid-era South Africa.

Addressing delegates at the 152nd General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Istanbul, Kurtulmus invoked the 1974 suspension of South Africa's UN membership as a legal and moral precedent, arguing Israel's treatment of Palestinians — including a proposed death penalty bill targeting Palestinian prisoners in the West Bank — mirrors that era's systemic discrimination.

"Is it not apartheid to apply one law for Palestinians and another for Israelis in a single country?" he said.

Kurtulmus further challenged the legitimacy of Israeli military courts adjudicating Palestinian cases, framing the dual legal system as institutionalized injustice.

Turning his criticism toward the United Nations itself, the speaker declared the body has been rendered toothless by the interests of powerful member states.

"Unfortunately, the United Nations has become an international institution directed in line with the wishes of those who hold power," he said.

He pressed further, questioning what international mechanism remained capable of halting what he characterized as genocidal violence in Gaza — violence he said has persisted without accountability since October 7. On the broader regional conflict, he raised pointed questions about a war he attributed to US and Israeli strikes on Iran and its subsequent spread across the Middle East.

Delivering a sweeping indictment of global governance, Kurtulmus declared, "Institutions still exist in the world, but they no longer perform any function; these institutions have collapsed."

He catalogued what he described as sovereignty violations suffered by multiple Middle Eastern nations over the past three years — among them Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Yemen, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates — calling such breaches categorically unacceptable.

Reaffirming the principle of equal state sovereignty, Kurtulmus stated, "Ensuring this is a shared responsibility of the human family," and urged the international community to collectively work to "revive hope, strengthen peace, and establish justice."

On the sidelines of the IPU assembly, Kurtulmus held talks with Khalid Al Maawali, Chairman of Oman's Shura Council. He acknowledged the strain Oman has endured amid regional hostilities following strikes on Iran, and commended the country's prior mediation role. He also advocated for resuming stalled diplomatic talks in Pakistan at the point where negotiations previously broke down, and pushed for converting the existing ceasefire into a durable peace arrangement.

Warning of long-term regional consequences, he cautioned that Israel's strike on Iran risks entrenching deep-seated hostility between Gulf states and Tehran. Kurtulmus also reaffirmed Ankara's intent to deepen bilateral ties with what he called "brotherly Oman" across all sectors.

The Istanbul gathering marks the fourth time Türkiye has hosted the IPU General Assembly, following sessions in 1934, 1951, and 1996. The current session drew representation from approximately 155 countries — among the highest participation levels in the organization's recent history.

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