“The cement for the wall built by Israel in Gaza comes from Turkey”

Meral Danış Beştaş of the People’s Equality and Democracy Party (HEDEP), formerly the Green Left Party (YSP), said that the cement for the houses and walls built by Israel in Gaza came from Turkey. Beştaş gave her assessment of the Israeli attacks on Gaza at the Parliament’s General Assembly.

Turkey is leading exporter of cement and steel to Israel

Beştaş said that the Turkish government is following a hypocritical policy by being the cause of one war on the one hand and condemning another war on the other hand and stated that the biggest security measure and precaution that can be taken against war is peace. She continued that the Turkish government’s hypocritical policy of double standards is the same not only in the Kurdish question but also in the Palestinian question. The HEDEP deputy gave the following example of the hypocrisy of the Turkish authorities’ criticism of the Israeli attacks: “I looked at the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; there is no visa application for Israel, but visas are applied for Palestinians. Another issue is that the cement for the houses and walls Israel is building in Gaza comes from Turkey. Turkey is the number one exporter of cement and iron and steel to Israel. We want an explanation.

The main problems in the Middle East: Palestinian and Kurdish issues

Noting that, according to statistics, Israel carried out the deadliest air strike on Gaza since 2008, Beştaş said HEDEP took responsibility in parliament and signed a joint statement against the attacks, adding: “Of course, I want to express once again that we condemn this attack, this crime against humanity, without any hesitation.” Commenting on the recent approval of the bill to extend the military offensive in Syria and Iraq, the MP said: “An hour ago a war motion was passed here and unfortunately the double standard approach to the two main problems of the Middle East, the Palestinian and Kurdish questions, has marked the parliamentary work. Yes, Israel’s attack on Gaza is a war that can never be compatible with humanitarian law. Especially the bombing of hospitals is the culminating point, but there is also a bloody war in Rojava and the attacks continue.”