Spain´s international approach has drawn praise from the Republic of Türkiye´s co-ordinatator for Humanitarian Aid for Palestine, Mehmet Güllüoğlu. As part of his exclusive English interview to MetinMadrid in Círculo de Bellas Artes, after speaking at the Fundación Alternativas event España y Turquía: juntos por Gaza, Palestina y la paz regional, Mehmet also stated “The Prime Minister (Pedro Sanchez) and the people of Spain are showing their support for Palestine.”
The official Palestinian Ambassador Husni Abdel Wahed (having been in place since presenting his creditials to the King of Spain last September ) , was also highly criticial of Israel. “Israel is a the centre of both major wars” whilst strongly criticising Israeli occupation of Palestine, Syria and Lebanon.
Rhetoric and Reality – MiM Analysis
With events moving so fast and news cycles what they are, Vicente Palacio (Director at Fundación Alternativas) opened the event by saying “there´s so much emotion but this is a moment to think.” We certainly got the emotion in the first panel with speakers including Professor Isaías Barrñada. Calling Donald´s Trump peace plan “a joke” , calling it the “diplomacy of extortion” but for all the talk in self determination there seemed to be a giant elephant in the room, namely there´s is no path to peace without Israel. Boots on the ground dictate the agenda far more than anything else and that´s as true in the Middle East as much as in Northern Cyprus.
In the second session the reality of continuing suffering in Gaza was laid out by Raquel Martí (Director at UNRWA España) in the millions depending on aid and “with the blockade, it´s practically impossible to help”.
Turkish Government Rep Mehmet Güllüoğlu and professor Muhammed Hüseyin Mercan speaking on
Gaza /Palestine reconstruction
“The old parameters are useless now” – Muhammed Hüseyin Mercan
Like the above, there were moments of clarity where people seemed to acknowledge clinging to past certainties was useless. Although one speaker continued to talk about Spain having obligations as member of the EU and UN, many were more blunt.
They should be, Europe today is significantly poorer, more demograpically divided (see recent electoral shocks in UK General Elections with candidates running exclusively on issues in the Middle East) and with a serious threat to their security in Russia. Frankly, the electorates of Europe are tired of hearing about obligations to every nation but their own with zero reciprocity. It was the Palestinian Ambassador who seemed to shrewdly acknowledge this saying “We know we are not the only people, but neither do we not exist”.
In that sense, perhaps the growing relationship between Spain and Türkiye should be seen not in line with re-construction but as something new. An acknowledgement that whether it be in the Middle East or Europe, trying to put the rubble back on top of eachother has no value. Instead, new tools will be needed to create a different order.
To watch the event back, go to Fundacíon Alternativas Youtube Page and the full interview with Mehmet Güllüoğlu can be heard below.