Turkish FM Hakan Fidan warns that Netanyahu’s West Bank annexation plan undermines peace efforts and risks long-term harm to Israel’s regional and global standing.
Ankara –
Turkey has issued a strong diplomatic warning against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to annex parts of the West Bank, saying the move would gravely undermine the two-state solution and could destabilize the region further.
Speaking in Istanbul on Friday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called the plan “short-sighted” and warned that it “would not serve Israel’s long-term interests.”
Undermining the Two-State Solution
Fidan emphasized that Netanyahu’s West Bank annexation plan would effectively destroy the last remnants of international consensus around a negotiated two-state framework.
“The annexation of Palestinian land violates international law and erases the prospects of a just peace,” Fidan said, reiterating Turkey’s support for Palestinian statehood with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Regional Tensions on the Rise
The statement comes amid renewed unrest in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, where ongoing Israeli operations and settlement expansions have drawn condemnation from across the Muslim world.
Fidan warned that annexation would “trigger a wave of instability” not just in Palestine, but across the broader Middle East. “Israel risks isolating itself even further in the region if it proceeds with this reckless agenda,” he added.
A Blow to Diplomatic Normalization
Turkey’s remarks also reflect broader concerns among Arab and Muslim-majority countries that recent normalization efforts—such as the Abraham Accords—could be jeopardized by unilateral Israeli actions.
Analysts note that Netanyahu’s proposed annexation could strain diplomatic ties with emerging partners, including Gulf states, many of whom have urged restraint in ongoing Israeli-Palestinian tensions.
International Law and Repercussions
The Turkish Foreign Minister also pointed to UN resolutions and international legal norms that prohibit the acquisition of territory by force. “This is not just a political miscalculation—it is a legal and moral violation,” Fidan stated.
He called on the United Nations, the European Union, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to take a clear stance, warning that silence could be seen as complicity.
Israel Yet to Respond
As of publication, the Israeli government has not officially responded to Fidan’s remarks. However, previous statements from Netanyahu have described annexation as part of a broader national security strategy, aimed at consolidating Israeli control over disputed areas.
Critics within Israel, including former security chiefs and diplomats, have echoed similar warnings—that annexation could backfire both diplomatically and strategically.
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