Erdogan says forced Palestinian displacement will be ‘pure atrocity’

CAIRO – 14 February 2025: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has strongly condemned any proposal for the forced displacement of Palestinians, referencing to US President Donald Trump's recent suggestion regarding the future of the Gaza Strip.

In remarks made to journalists on his return flight from Islamabad, where he concluded a three-country Asia tour, Erdoğan stated, "It is absolutely unacceptable to approve this forced displacement. This would be a pure atrocity," according to Turkish reports.

He further criticized the United States for its “miscalculations” regarding the Middle East, asserting, "One should not adopt a stance that disregards the history, values, and heritage of this geography."

Separately, Erdogan said on Friday that he views Trump’s decision to “make such an agreement with a murderer like (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu and his threats as a major threat to world peace.”

Trump’s proposal to “take” Gaza and relocate the two million Palestinians there to neighboring Egypt and Jordan has faced global condemnation, with rights groups labeling the move as “ethnic cleansing.”

Both Egypt and Jordan have outright rejected any ideas that involve displacing Palestinians from their lands, insisting that reconstruction efforts must proceed while Palestinians remain on their territory.

The Arab League, which encompasses all 22 Arab countries of the world, warned that Trump’s proposal is “a recipe for instability.” Meanwhile, the European Union said Gaza “is an integral part of a future Palestinian state.”

While Trump has underscored his Gaza takeover plans many times over the past weeks, his Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday that the US awaits better plans from Arab countries regarding Gaza.

“If the Arab countries have a better plan, then that’s great. Then they say they do, they’re going to come up with it, we’re going to look at it, see what it’s regarding and what it does,” Rubio told the radio show of conservative hosts Clay Travis and Buck Sexton.

“Right now, the only plan – they don’t like it, but the only plan is the Trump plan,” Rubio said. So, if they’ve got a better plan, now’s the time to present it. So, we’re looking forward to that.”