Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Monday engaged in phone diplomacy on Gaza. Türkiye’s top diplomat held phone calls with Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty, Saudi Arabia's Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, and top Jordanian diplomat Ayman Safadi. During the calls, the ministers discussed issues related to Gaza, as well as recent developments in the region, according to diplomatic sources.
Türkiye is at the forefront of efforts to restore calm in the Palestinian enclave, where Israel has run a genocidal campaign since 2023.
U.S. President Donald Trump has invited President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to join his so-called “Board of Peace” that will oversee the temporary governance of the Gaza Strip.
Trump sent Erdoğan a letter on Friday to join the board as a founding member. The other names on the board include U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Trump is the chair of the board, according to a plan his White House unveiled in October.
The board is intended to supervise Gaza during a transitional period following a U.S.-brokered cease-fire that ended Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, which killed over 71,000 Palestinians since Oct. 7, 2023.
Under the plan, the board will coordinate international involvement in stabilization and reconstruction efforts in Gaza under U.N. authorization.
Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas signed off on Trump's plan, which says a Palestinian technocratic body will be overseen by the international board, which will supervise Gaza's governance for a transitional period.
Türkiye views the initiative as part of broader international efforts to bring lasting peace and stability to Gaza and the region, according to a statement by Burhanettin Duran, head of the Turkish Presidency’s Communications Directorate.
Trump has also named Fidan in an 11-member “Gaza Executive Board” alongside the U.N. special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, Sigrid Kaag, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) minister for international cooperation, Reem al-Hashimy, and Israeli-Cypriot billionaire Yakir Gabay, as well as some members of the executive board.
The White House did not detail the responsibilities of each member of the "founding executive board." The names do not include any Palestinians. The White House said more members will be announced over the coming weeks.
