Ankara: Trkiye on Tuesday expressed its support for a collaborative move by 12 countries, including the UK, France, and Canada, to prohibit trade and business engagements with illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Turkish Foreign Ministry released a statement welcoming this initiative, emphasizing that Israel's actions are undermining the prospects of a two-state solution. The ministry described the expansion of illegal settlements as a systematic occupation strategy that significantly threatens the realization of a Palestinian state.

The statement further highlighted concerns over what it referred to as "settler terrorism," which it claimed has escalated to a level akin to ethnic cleansing. The ministry underscored that addressing Israel's occupation activities is crucial for achieving a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and ensuring lasting peace in the region.

Trkiye called on the international community to adopt similar measures and reiterated its commitment to advocating for an independent and sovereign Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The announcement by the UK, France, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden to restrict trade with these settlements reflects a growing international consensus on the issue.