President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Saturday that he plans to be the first to visit Gaza following a recently announced cease-fire between Hamas and Israel, calling the agreement a “bittersweet” step toward peace and expressing hope for lasting stability in the Palestinian territories.
Speaking at his ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) assembly meeting in his hometown of Rize, Erdoğan hailed the cease-fire as a moment of relief for Gaza’s residents after months of devastation.
"We fully support any project that will permanently stop the massacre and genocide that has been happening in Gaza for two years," he said.
Türkiye hopes the new ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas will lead to lasting peace, calm, and security in Gaza and other Palestinian territories, Erdoğan added.
Addressing the chants about Gaza during his speech, Erdoğan told the crowd, “I will go to Gaza first, then you,” signaling his commitment to leading by example and demonstrating Türkiye’s active role in the region.
He also stressed that Israel must honor the terms of the cease-fire and halt aggressive actions that threaten regional security.
Erdoğan praised Hamas for showing “a very prudent stance” in agreeing to the truce and reaffirmed that Türkiye would continue supporting the Palestinian people.
“The smiles, albeit bittersweet, began to appear in Gaza after the destruction of the genocide. I salute Palestine and the Palestinians in person,” Erdoğan added.
His comments come as Türkiye said it would provide technical support and participate in a task force to monitor the implementation of the Gaza cease-fire plan.
