Turkey on Tuesday announced that it has decided to endorse six measures against Israel in line with a global push to hold the country accountable for its actions in Gaza, becoming the first nation to formally endorse a joint declaration issued at a recent international summit, the Middle East Eye reported.
The move comes amid domestic criticism over Ankara’s initial refusal to join the concrete action plan unveiled at the gathering.
The measures stem from a political declaration issued during the July 15–16 Emergency Conference on Palestine at the Bogotá Conference, co-hosted by Colombia and South Africa under the framework of the Hague Group.
More than 30 nations from across Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East participated in what organizers described as the most coordinated legal and diplomatic effort yet against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
While Turkey supported the general political message of the declaration during the summit, it initially withheld support for the accompanying six-point action plan. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said last Friday that the decision was based on legal concerns related to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), a treaty Turkey has not ratified due to maritime disputes with Greece in the Aegean Sea.
Fidan said the measures, particularly restrictions on port access and maritime transit, could carry legal implications for Turkey’s position in ongoing regional disputes. “After consulting legal experts and relevant institutions, we concluded that we could accept the text only by noting our reservations,” he said, pushing back against opposition criticism and accusing some domestic actors of unintentionally aligning with Greek positions.
Despite the delay, Deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Yılmaz announced Tuesday that Turkey would now fully implement the six measures, including halting military exports to Israel, refusing transit of Israeli weapons through its territory and reviewing public procurement to avoid support for Israeli companies involved in the occupation.
The package also includes backing for universal jurisdiction and International Criminal Court proceedings targeting alleged Israeli war crimes.
“Children are not only dying from bombings, but also from starvation. This is a man-made humanitarian disaster pointing to a moral and systemic collapse,” Yılmaz said in a statement shared with Middle East Eye.
Yılmaz said Turkey’s decision reflected support for the Hague Group’s “righteous call” to uphold international law. The group, which comprises Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Malaysia, Namibia, Senegal and South Africa, has urged other states to adopt the measures before a final deadline of September 20, set to coincide with the opening of the 80th UN General Assembly.
Twelve countries, including Bolivia, Colombia, Indonesia, Iraq, Libya, Malaysia and South Africa, have already committed to implementing the measures through their domestic systems.
Speaking at the summit, UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese called the action plan “a vital step to end impunity.”
“These aren’t just measures but are lifelines for a people who are under relentless assault and a world that has been paralyzed for too long,” she said.
Turkey’s endorsement of the declaration was welcomed by the Hague Group.
“The steps taken by Türkiye today are a powerful affirmation that international law must be enforced, not merely referenced,” said Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla, executive secretary of the group.
“We invite others to follow suit before the September deadline, to end impunity and defend humanity.”
South Africa’s foreign minister, Ronald Lamola, also praised the move as “a welcome development to strengthen and continue the fight against injustice and ensure accountability.”
Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza following a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 that resulted in the death of 1,206 people and the taking of some 250 hostages.
According to the health ministry in Gaza, the Israeli military has killed at least 60,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 142,000 since October 7, 2023.
Two prominent human rights organizations in Israel on Monday joined a number of international rights organizations, UN human rights experts and scholars in accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.
B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel released separate reports on Monday based on studies of the past 21 months of conflict, saying Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and that the country’s Western allies have a legal and moral duty to stop it.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is also examining a case brought by South Africa alleging that Israeli forces are committing genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza.