Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus has called for the suspension of Israel from the United Nations, criticising its move to introduce a death penalty bill for Palestinian prisoners and citing international action against apartheid-era South Africa as a precedent.
Speaking at the 152nd General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Istanbul, Kurtulmus said the international system previously acted against apartheid, recalling the suspension of South Africa’s UN membership in 1974.
He argued that Israel is applying similar practices, questioning: “Is it not apartheid to apply one law for Palestinians and another for Israelis in a single country?”
Kurtulmus also criticised the UN, saying it failed to stop recent conflicts and became ineffective in preventing violence, particularly in Gaza.
“Unfortunately, the United Nations has become an international institution directed in line with the wishes of those who hold power,” he said.
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