"It is tough to see any long-term, durable solution in Gaza without regional powers like (Türkiye) playing a role," U.S. Ambassador to Ankara Jeff Flake said.
Ankara has been a staunch advocate of a two-state solution, with an independent Palestine, even before a new round of conflict began between Palestine and Israel last October. This time, it escalated its rhetoric against the United States over the latter’s blatant support of what President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan calls "war crimes" committed by the Netanyahu administration against innocent Palestinians.
Speaking in a televised interview with MSNBC, Flake highlighted Türkiye’s position as a country sitting in the middle of a war to the north in Ukraine and a war to the south in Gaza.
"As a 97% Muslim country, obviously there are deep feelings of affinity with the Palestinians, so they are very critical of what Israel has done in terms of going into Gaza," Flake said.
The ambassador stated that Türkiye expressed willingness to work as a guarantor for a solution to the conflict and willingness to work with regional partners to achieve it. "They are very supportive of a two-state solution as we are," he emphasized.
President Erdoğan last week lambasted the U.S. and European countries as sponsors of murderers of women and children, accusing them of supporting and encouraging Israel as it carries out genocidal acts in Gaza. "'To be mentioned alongside the Netanyahu administration is a disgrace, heavy punishment in itself," he said at an event in Istanbul. He noted that Western countries, which have been ignoring the ongoing atrocities "with hearts hardened and consciences leased to Zionists," have become accomplices in Israel's system of oppression. "The entirety of humanity needs to take unified action against Israel's genocidal policy," the president said. Erdoğan also said Türkiye is in talks with all parties to ensure unity among its Palestinian brothers, as he said Türkiye stands resilient against threats and is actively working to end Gaza's tragedy and oppression in Palestine with unwavering dedication.