AKP’s new election song puts spotlight on Palestine

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, announcing his party's candidates yesterday for the upcoming local elections on, set the stage with a new campaign song playing in the background. 

With the rallying cry "Always new, always forward AK Party" echoing in the song, it brought forth a distinct emphasis on 'Palestine,' a detail that captured the attention of media outlets close to the government. 

The phrase "From river to sea, let Turkey run from victory to victory everywhere and always" in the song holds a significant meaning, as it echoes the main slogan of the Palestinian struggle. The slogan, originating from Arabic as "Min el-nahr 'iilaa el-bahr," signifies the establishment of a single and secular state in all of Palestine, where everyone has equal citizenship rights, from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean. 

However, President Erdoğan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) advocate for the establishment of both the State of Israel and the State of Palestine, with its capital in East Jerusalem, promoting the "two-state solution" consistently. 

Erdoğan's calls for the 'two-state solution' 

Upon analyzing speeches made by President Erdoğan on the official presidential website since the beginning of the conflict in the Gaza Strip on October 7, it is evident that Erdoğan consistently emphasizes the 'two-state solution.' In his speeches on October 8, 10, 11, 13, November 11, 21, 22, and December 1, 5, and 6, Erdoğan called for the establishment of a Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem within the 1967 borders. 

'Normalization' with Israel over Jerusalem 

On December 6, 2017, then-US President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as the "capital of Israel." However, well before Trump's decision, the AKP had effectively acknowledged Jerusalem as the "capital of Israel." Despite many countries, including Turkey, recognizing Tel Aviv as the capital of Israel, the AKP announced that the 'normalization' agreement with Israel was signed in Ankara and Jerusalem on June 28, 2016. 

'Jerusalem-connected' Umrah tours  

Since 2015, the Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) has been organizing Umrah tours connected to Jerusalem. The Turkey office of the pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement protested these tours, claiming that "Diyanet legitimizes the occupation, normalizing Israel." 

Military and economic relations 

The intense relations between the two countries since the 1990s, despite fluctuations, peaked during the AKP government. The cornerstone of the AKP's Israel policy was shaped through economic relations. 

While the trade volume between Turkey and Israel increased by 532% in the last 20 years, the largest export item in this trade was the basic raw materials of the arms and defense industry. Military agreements with Israel, initiated during the True Path Party and Welfare Party periods in the 1990s, continued during the AKP government. 

During the AKP era, Turkey also contributed to Israel-NATO relations. After vetoing Israel's participation in NATO military exercises following the Mavi Marmara attack on May 31, 2010, AKP lifted this veto in 2012. In 2016, after lifting the veto once again, Israel opened a permanent office at NATO's headquarters in Brussels. (VC/VK)