Qurtulmuş: Palestine is our national cause, and we will defend it until the end.

The President of the Turkish Parliament, Numan Kurtulmuş, affirmed that the issue of Palestine represents a national cause for Turkey, emphasizing the importance of defending it until the end. This came during a promotional event for a documentary film about Jerusalem in the capital, Ankara.

Kurtulmuş pointed out that Jerusalem is considered one of the most important centers of Islamic civilization, and that the Palestinian territories were a place where our ancestors taught the world the meaning of humanity and conscience. He stressed that Jerusalem was a 'House of Peace' when Muslims were sovereign there.

Kurtulmuş described dedicating one's life to the establishment of a free Palestine with its capital in free Jerusalem as a shared responsibility, noting the great suffering experienced by the Palestinian territories, including Jerusalem, as a result of Israeli repressive practices.

Kurtulmuş spoke about the Israeli genocide in Gaza, clarifying that it did not begin on October 7, but is a continuation of chapters that started in 1917 with the withdrawal of the Ottoman state, and continued with the American occupation of Iraq, leading to the current genocide.

He described the settlement in the Palestinian territories as a 'malignant tumor' driven by hidden agendas of imperialists, noting that the struggle in Palestine is a fight for justice.

Kurtulmuş confirmed that a sovereign Palestinian state will be established on its land with Jerusalem as its capital, emphasizing that Turkey will continue to support the Palestinian people in all forums.

He noted that some Western countries thank Turkey behind the scenes for its supportive stance on the Palestinian cause, despite not speaking out in international meetings.

He discussed the genocide committed by Israel since October 7, which resulted in the deaths of more than 62,000 Palestinians and injuries to over 156,000, most of whom are children and women, in addition to hundreds of thousands of displaced persons.

In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, at least 1,015 Palestinians have been killed, and about 7,000 others injured, with more than 18,500 Palestinians arrested, according to Palestinian data.