According to a 1950 resolution, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan declared on Monday that the General Assembly should support the use of force if the U.N. Security Council is unable to halt Israel’s attacks in Gaza and Lebanon.
Turkey, a member of NATO, has denounced Israel’s devastating attack against Hamas in Gaza and condemned its recent attacks against Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. Israel has denied Turkey’s application to join a World Court case against Israel for genocide, and it has suspended all trade with Israel.
“The UN General Assembly should rapidly implement the authority to recommend the use of force, as it did with the 1950 Uniting for Peace resolution, if the Security Council can’t show the necessary will,” Erdogan said following a cabinet meeting in Ankara.
Due to the resolution, the UN General Assembly may intervene if the five permanent veto-wielding powers of the Security Council—Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States—cannot agree on how to uphold global peace.
Normally, only the Security Council has the authority to make legally binding decisions, like approving the use of force and imposing sanctions.
Erdogan added that he regretted the Muslim world’s lack of action against Israel, calling on them to use economic, diplomatic, and political pressure to force Israel to accept a cease-fire.
“We call on the Muslim world and the international community to mobilize for the peace of everyone in our region, from Muslims to Jews to Christians,” Erdogan declared, adding that if Israel’s attacks continue, they will also target Muslim nations.
