Türkiye on Monday called on the U.N. to appoint a special envoy to combat Islamophobia, stressing the urgent need to address rising hate speech and discrimination against Muslims.
"Hatred against Islam, racism, xenophobia, discrimination and far-right hate speech are rising. Hardly a day goes by without hostility against and violations of fundamental rights of Muslims, including attacks on their lives, mosques and the Holy Quran," Deputy Foreign Minister Mehmet Kemal Bozay said in an address to a high-level segment of the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva.
"U.N. resolutions defining burning of holy books as religious hatred are significant, but more steps are needed. A U.N. special envoy to combat Islamophobia should soon be appointed," Bozay urged.
Over 500 attacks involving Quran burnings took place in Western Europe in 2023, coinciding with the surge in far-right extremism that saw anti-migration and anti-Islam parties raise their voter support in countries like Germany, Italy and Austria.
Bozay also called for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza and urged accountability for crimes against Palestinians.
"The world is going through unprecedented changes. The international system's credibility is waning fast," he said.
He condemned ongoing atrocities and violations of international law and said, "Effective multilateralism in action is needed more than ever."
He welcomed the current cease-fire in Gaza but stressed that it must become permanent to ensure long-term de-escalation.
"The catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza necessitates urgent humanitarian aid for Palestinians," he said, reaffirming Türkiye's continued support for the U.N. Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) and its humanitarian efforts in the region.
Highlighting Türkiye joining the genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Bozay said Ankara is closely monitoring the proceedings. "We hope that the court will render a judgment to put an end to the suffering of the Palestinian people," he stated.
Speaking out against U.S. President Donald Trump's Gaza relocation plan, he said: "Statements urging the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza are unacceptable and against international law."
Bozay also emphasized Türkiye's stance on Syria, saying that stability in the country requires eliminating terrorist groups such as Daesh and the YPG/PKK, which also uses the name SDF.
"Syria's stability and unity require eradicating terrorism. There is no place for Daesh or the (terrorist groups) PKK/YPG/SDF in Syria's future," he asserted. "The SDF is not a legitimate representative of Syrian Kurds and must be dissolved. The illegal and seditious presence of this terrorist organization in Syria's northeast and its exploitation of Syria's hydrocarbon resources must end. Daesh cannot be allowed to resurge."
"So-called detention camps (for Daesh members) cannot remain under the control of a terrorist organization (the PKK/YPG). The new administration declares its readiness to manage these camps," he said.
He also underlined that Syrians now have a "historic opportunity" to rebuild Syria, saying Türkiye is "firmly committed" to ensuring a stable, unified and secure Syria where transitional justice is served.
Addressing the long-standing Cyprus issue, Bozay called for an end to "systematic violations" of Turkish Cypriots' rights. He also criticized Greece's mistreatment of the Turkish minority living in its Western Thrace region and the Dodecanese, urging the council to ensure their rights are respected.
He touched on global conflicts, including the war in Ukraine, peace efforts in the Southern Caucasus and the Sudan crisis, while advocating for an inclusive and peaceful Afghanistan. He also underscored Türkiye's commitment to addressing the rights of Uyghur Turks and the Rohingya people.
