Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has stated that Gaza should become a part of an independent Palestinian state once the Israel-Hamas war comes to an end. He emphasized that Ankara will not support any plans that gradually erase Palestinians from history. These comments were made just a day before U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s scheduled visit to Ankara to discuss the situation in Gaza.
Turkey has been increasingly critical of Israel as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has worsened. Unlike the United States, Britain, and other Western countries, Turkey does not consider Hamas a terrorist organization and supports a two-state solution. Turkey has called for an immediate ceasefire and offered to establish a system to ensure it.
Erdogan expressed his desire to see Gaza as a peaceful region within an independent Palestinian state, in accordance with the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital. He stated that Turkey would support any formulas that bring peace and stability to the region, while opposing plans that further oppress and marginalize Palestinians.
Erdogan revealed that his intelligence chief has been in contact with Israeli and Palestinian authorities, as well as Hamas. However, he no longer considers Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a counterpart. Despite this, Turkey does not wish to sever ties with Israel.
Ahead of Blinken’s visit, hundreds of protesters gathered in Ankara and Istanbul to demonstrate against the United States and Israel. Footage from Ankara showed protesters near the U.S. Embassy chanting slogans and holding posters criticizing the U.S.’s support for Israel. In Istanbul’s Sarachane park, protesters displayed banners urging Blinken to leave Turkey, with pictures of Netanyahu and Blinken marked with a red “X.”
In response to Erdogan’s description of Hamas as freedom fighters, Israel had previously recalled its envoys to Turkey. In retaliation, Ankara has now recalled its ambassador to Israel for consultations. Israel’s foreign ministry condemned this move, accusing Turkey of siding with the terrorist organization Hamas.
Before the Israel-Hamas conflict, Turkey had been working to repair its relations with Israel after years of strained ties. Erdogan also announced that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi would visit Turkey at the end of November, and he himself would attend an Organisation for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in Riyadh to discuss a ceasefire in Gaza.
Erdogan affirmed that Turkey would support any initiatives to hold Israel accountable for what he considers war crimes and human rights violations. He warned that failing to do so would undermine trust in the global system.
