In comments published by Bloomberg on Monday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Türkiye was ready to contribute to the International Stabilization Force (ISF) considered for Gaza.
He noted that the peacekeeping force would struggle to achieve legitimacy and earn the trust of Palestinians if Türkiye is excluded.
“We are in the position of a key country for such a mission due to our deep historical ties with the Palestinian side, the security and diplomacy channels we have conducted with Israel in the past, and our regional influence as a NATO member country,” he said. “Our political will is clear; we stand ready to take on any responsibility for a lasting peace in Gaza.” Erdoğan's comments came hours before his scheduled phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump. "Most legitimate actors in this process are those who were party to the Sharm al-Sheikh Declaration," Erdoğan, whose country joined Egypt, Qatar and others to support a U.S.-brokered plan for a cease-fire between Hamas and Israel. The president underlined Türkiye's unique role in the world in mediating conflicts, especially the one between Russia and Ukraine. "We are the only side that can have direct talks both with Mr. Zelenskyy and Mr. Putin while engaging in tangible efforts, a strong and balanced diplomacy with NATO and at the U.N. level at the same time," he stressed.
Israel opposes the contribution of Türkiye to a future International Stabilization Force for Gaza, which will be comprised of peacekeeping troops from various nations. Türkiye has voiced that it was ready to join others for the ISF and expressed readiness to contribute to the rebuilding of Gaza as well.
On Sept. 29, 2025, Trump announced a 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza, including a cease-fire, the release of Israeli captives, disarmament of Hamas, an Israeli withdrawal from the enclave, the formation of a technocratic administration, and the deployment of an international stabilization force. The first phase of the agreement took effect on Oct. 10, 2025, but Israel has continued to violate some of its provisions and has delayed moving to the second phase.
Since the cease-fire agreement came into effect on Oct. 10, the Israeli army has committed hundreds of violations, killing 420 Palestinians and wounding 1,184 others, according to the Health Ministry. The cease-fire halted Israel's brutal two-year war that killed nearly 71,400 Palestinians, most of them women and children, injured more than 171,200 others and left the enclave in ruins.
"Türkiye is ready to do whatever it takes" to contribute to the ongoing peace efforts regarding Gaza, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said in December when asked whether Ankara was considering sending troops to Gaza.
Stating that a comprehensive discussion is underway about the ISF, Fidan told the Doha Forum in the Qatari capital that a thorough assessment is being conducted regarding how the force would be deployed, what its mission would be, and under which rules it would operate.
He called for a "realistic" approach to the force's mission when setting expectations, "because there are realities in the field."
"I think our first objective in deploying ISF should be to separate Palestinians from the Israelis on the border line. This should be our main objective. Then, we can address the other remaining issues," Fidan added. For the International Stabilization Force to be effective, a police force must be established and trained, and local administrations must be established to establish a peace committee, he noted. It remains unclear which countries will contribute to the force, but the process will gradually take shape once the ISF is deployed, the Turkish foreign minister highlighted.
