Palestine’s new ambassador to Ankara, Nasri Abu Jaish, said his country wants Türkiye to take part in an international stabilization force to protect the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank.
“As the State of Palestine, we want a stabilization force in both Gaza and the West Bank to protect our people,” Abu Jaish told Anadolu Agency (AA), adding that the force should be composed of Islamic countries. “We want Türkiye to be included. We want to see Türkiye and Islamic states among the countries participating in this force,” he said.
Abu Jaish recalled that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had previously called for such a force and said discussions were continuing about its structure and name. He emphasized that the deployment of the force would ensure stability in the region.
Rejecting any foreign or external administration of Gaza, Abu Jaish said the territory “should be governed by Palestinians and is an integral part of Palestine.”
On the issue of internal unity, Abu Jaish said reconciliation efforts have been ongoing for many years, and the lack of unity has harmed the Palestinian cause. He underlined that achieving unity is essential to countering Israel’s plans.
“It is a very opportune time for Hamas to join the Fatah Movement and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO),” he said, noting that meetings between factions have been held in different countries. “Hamas must join the Liberation Organization because the Liberation Organization is the sole representative of Palestine,” he added.
The ambassador also praised Türkiye’s role in the negotiation of the Gaza cease-fire and described Ankara as Palestine’s greatest supporter. “The Turkish government and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan are Palestine’s greatest supporters. Türkiye has always stood in solidarity with Palestine and provided tremendous support,” he said.
Abu Jaish said he presented his letter of credence to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Nov. 4 and that Erdoğan reaffirmed Türkiye’s continued support for Palestine.
He also highlighted Türkiye’s active participation in international organizations such as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League Gaza Contact Group. “Türkiye has global and regional influence. It is very important for us that this influence stands with the Palestinian state and people and supports Palestine,” he said.
Abu Jaish expressed his gratitude to the Turkish government, the Turkish people, Parliament and all political parties for their continued support.
He also thanked Türkiye for its humanitarian assistance to Gaza, including food, medical aid for the wounded and scholarships for Palestinian students. “Türkiye’s involvement in providing humanitarian aid and helping Palestinians continue their education and lives is greatly appreciated,” he said.
Wishing Türkiye continued success, Abu Jaish expressed hope that the Palestinian people will achieve their goals with the support of Islamic countries and Türkiye.
