Turkey Strongly Condemns Israel’s Settlement Expansion in West Bank’s E1 Are

Istanbul, MINA – Turkey’s Foreign Ministry issued a stern condemnation on Thursday against Israel’s approval of new settlement construction in the strategic E1 zone of the occupied West Bank, warning the move would permanently sever East Jerusalem from Palestinian territory, Anadolu Agency reported.

In an official statement posted on Turkey’s Next Sosyal platform, the ministry declared: “This illegal expansion blatantly violates international law and UN resolutions, undermines Palestine’s territorial integrity, and destroys prospects for a two-state solution.” The statement emphasized that lasting peace can only be achieved through “an independent, sovereign Palestinian state based on 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.”

The condemnation came as Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich greenlit 6,916 new settler units – 3,401 in Ma’ale Adumim and 3,515 in surrounding areas. Experts warn the E1 project would effectively bisect the West Bank, isolating Palestinian cities from Jerusalem and disrupting territorial contiguity essential for a future Palestinian state.

Turkey’s protest aligns with the International Court of Justice’s July 2024 advisory opinion that deemed Israeli settlements illegal under international law and demanded their evacuation. The Turkish government reiterated its unwavering support for Palestinian self-determination amid what it called “Israel’s systematic colonization of occupied lands.” []

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Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)