U.S. President Donald Trump has invited President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to join his so-called “Board of Peace” that will oversee temporary governance of the Gaza Strip after two years of Israeli war, the Turkish Communications Directorate said Saturday.
Trump sent Erdoğan a letter on Friday to join the board as a founding member, Communication Director Burhanettin Duran said in a statement on X.
The other names in 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 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 Gaza and the region, Duran said.
Trump has also named Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan 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 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.
