Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi attacked what he called the Western hegemony project, stressing its failure in the region, while his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, stressed his country's centrality in the eastern Mediterranean, and talked about the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Syrian crisis and the current developments in Afghanistan.

In a recorded speech broadcast before the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said that the sanctions imposed on his country did not begin with the nuclear program, but rather began before that.

He described the sanctions as a crime against humanity, and said that the United States had not fulfilled its obligations to lift them.

Raisi stressed that what the region is witnessing proves that the idea of ​​hegemony and the project to impose a Western identity have failed miserably, as he put it.

On the other hand, the Iranian president called in his speech to stop what he called the aggression against Yemen unconditionally.

He said, "The US military presence in Syria and Iraq is the main obstacle to democracy and the people's will. Freedom does not come in the bags of soldiers who come to the region from abroad, and just as the occupation is doomed to disappear, the imposition of hegemony is doomed to disappear."

The two-state solution and the eastern Mediterranean

For his part, the Turkish president called for a renewed adherence to the two-state solution as a basis for settling the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

In a speech on Tuesday before the United Nations General Assembly, Erdogan said, "The peace process must be revived and a two-state solution must be aspired again as soon as possible, without further delay."

In another context, President Erdogan stressed the need for other parties to abandon attempts to marginalize Turkey in the eastern Mediterranean, adding, "It is necessary to reverse efforts to exclude Turkey from the eastern Mediterranean despite its possession of the longest coastline in the region."


Syria and Afghanistan

On the Syrian issue, the Turkish President called for a greater effort to find a political solution to the Syrian crisis in a way that meets the aspirations of the Syrian people.

"We, as a country that saved human dignity in the Syrian crisis, can no longer afford new waves of migration," Erdogan added.

He pointed out that 10 years have passed since the human tragedy in Syria, which led to the killing of hundreds of thousands and the displacement of millions of people before the eyes of the entire world.

He pointed out that while Turkey embraced nearly 4 million Syrians, it fought on the ground with terrorist organizations and flooded the region with blood and tears.

President Erdoğan cautioned that Turkey is the only NATO ally that has fought and defeated ISIS head-on.

He pointed out that Turkey's presence in Idlib (northwestern Syria) also saved the lives of millions and prevented their displacement.

On the Afghan issue, Erdogan said that the people of Afghanistan have been left to face their fate, and they need the help and solidarity of the international community.

He added that Turkey will continue to play its fraternal role within the framework of its assistance, expressing his hope that stability and security will prevail in the country and the relief of its people.