Islamophobia, xenophobia most significant threats to human rights - Erdogan

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in a speech marking World Human Rights Day that the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights which was adopted 75 years ago has failed to put an end to the violation of human rights in many parts of the world.

He said Islamophobia and xenophobia which are taking root in Western societies "like a toxic plant are some of the most significant threats to human rights," Turkish media TRT reports.

"We are witnessing the violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territories," he said while lamenting that from October 7, all the rights of the people of Gaza, especially their livelihoods, have been "recklessly" destroyed by the Israeli forces.

President Erdogan added that those who committed massacres in Gaza will eventually be held accountable for crimes against humanity in international courts.

In response to America's veto of the Gaza ceasefire resolution in the UN Security Council, the president said, "Indeed, a just world is possible, but not with America, because America stands by Israel's side."

He dedicated most of his speech to the situation in Gaza and vowed to stand by the people of Gaza. “We will continue our struggle with courage so that innocent people around the world can look to the future with confidence. For the children of Gaza, for the Gazan mothers and fathers who embrace their loved ones with tears, we will continue to raise our voices,” he is quoted by Turkey's Anadolu Agency.