Turkey on Thursday called for the resumption of Israeli-Palestinian talks, which have been disrupted by the Gaza conflict, Xinhua reported.
"In our view, the resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict based on the vision of two states that will exist side by side in peace and security is an indispensable element of regional and global peace," Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the UN General Assembly at its annual debate.
"We believe that resumption of the Israeli-Palestinian talks that have been disrupted by the Gaza conflict is of utmost importance and hope that the Peace Process will be revitalized as quickly as possible," he said.
Erdogan told world leaders attending the second day of the assembly's debate that "it is not possible to turn a blind eye to the appalling conditions in Gaza."
The three-week Israeli military offensive at the start of the year, which had the stated aim of ending rocket attacks by militants operating in Gaza, quickly turned into a human tragedy, he said.
"It is our common humanitarian and moral responsibility to ensure that the tragedy unfolding in Gaza is brought to an end, and an atmosphere of lasting peace is created in the region," said Erdogan.
The conflict resulted in the deaths of some 1,400 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and over 5,000 injuries. Many buildings in Gaza were turned to rubble, and even UN sites came under attack, said Erdogan.
"It has been eight months since the declaration of the ceasefires that ended the hostilities in Gaza," he said, adding that six months have also passed since an international conference in Egypt pledged billions of dollars for the reconstruction of the area.
"However, I regret that the human tragedy in Gaza still goes on," he noted.
Erdogan said that closures at border crossings block reconstruction materials and supplies from entering Gaza, causing extended suffering for the 1.4 million people living in the Strip.
"We demand that these obstacles are immediately lifted and normalcy restored to Gaza for the sake of peace and security of both Israel and the Palestinians," he said.
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