KUALA LUMPUR: In a fiery address at the opening of the Kuala Lumpur Summit 2019 here today, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for a new world order based on the principles of justice and righteousness.
Erdogan’s call came on the back of his withering criticism of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for its alleged failure to protect the interests of billions of Muslims worldwide.
“The UN was established in the aftermath of the Second World War in order defend the rights and interests of the global powers.
“However, the UN Security Council does not represent 1.7 billion Muslims around the world, and I believe that the UNSC is way past its expiry date.
“And, we depend on the words coming out from the mouths of the five permanent seat holders (in the UNSC),” he said.
Erdogan said in order to better champion the struggles of Muslims around the globe, the agendas of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) must be revived and revised.
He said the Turkish government, on its part, had undertaken significant initiatives to, among others, realise the actual potential of the Islamic world, increase potential trade volume and revive economic development, as well as strengthen cooperation in the fields of technology and finance.
Erdogan also touched on how the Turkish government had been critical and vocal against the Israeli oppression and occupation of Palestine despite attempts to silence him and his administration.
“In the face of the harassment by the Israelis authorities, we have always fought back in order to preserve the dignity of our Palestinian brothers and sisters.
“From Turkistan to Yemen, Libya and Syria, we have always reacted against injustice,” he said.
Erdogan took aim at certain quarters whom he said had resorted to terrorism, street protests and even the media to attack his administration from within and without.
“They wanted to silence Turkey both internally and externally and they wanted to stop us and defeat us through terrorism, a failed coup and economic terrorism.
“We, however, never retreated nor surrendered thanks to Allah.
“We have never bowed before them.
“The more they tried to silence us, the more we talked about Palestine, Arakan (army), Gaza, Libya, Somalia and Syria.”
Erdogan also underscored the importance of the Muslim world strategising its policies.
He noted that despite controlling 59 per cent and 58 per cent of the total global oil reserves and global natural gas reserves, respectively, the Islamic world commanded less than 10 per cent of the global economy.
The income discrepancy between the richest Islamic country and the poorest, he said, was more than 200-fold.
He said 350 million Muslims lived in extreme poverty worldwide.
“The general literacy level around the world is 82.5 per cent, but in the Islamic world the figure is only 70 per cent,” he said.
Erdogan said one out of three weapons sold every day in the world finds its way to Middle Eastern nations.
“Muslims are using their resources for armaments and for conflict and while doing so, they are enriching western arms dealers,” he said.
Erdogan said Islam dictates that even during the darkest times, its followers must look for a ray of hope.
“We cannot afford the luxury of losing ourselves in despair.
“We cannot be desperate because it is not becoming of us.
“Regardless of the circumstance or how challenging the world might become, we can never question the bounty from Allah because every crisis will open window of opportunity.”