Recognition of a Palestinian state is an “obligation” rather than option, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in Egypt on Tuesday, September 13, calling on all Arab states to support Palestine’s UN membership bid this month.

“Before the end of this year we will see Palestine at the United Nations in a very different situation,” he said. “It’s time to raise the Palestinian flag at the United Nations. Let’s raise the Palestinian flag and let that flag be the symbol of peace and justice in the Middle East. Let’s contribute to securing well-deserved peace and stability in the Middle East.”

Palestinians are seeking support for a UN membership bid they plan to launch next week despite U.S. and Israeli opposition.

In his speech, Erdoğan also said Turkey supports the National Transitional Council of Libya and that the country should be represented in the United Nations with the members of the NTC.

Erdoğan, a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause who has become a strident critic of longtime ally Israel, said Turkey and the Arabs must “work hand in hand with our Palestinian brothers.”

“The Palestinian cause is the cause of human dignity,” he said, Hurriyet Daily News reported.