Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called on the international community to take a firm stance against Israel’s violations of the Gaza cease-fire, saying nearly 250 Palestinians have been killed since the truce began and warning that attacks aimed at “blockading Palestinians” must end immediately, as he met with his counterparts from six countries in Istanbul.
Speaking at a ministerial meeting on Gaza, Fidan stressed the urgent need for uninterrupted humanitarian access, noting that “600 humanitarian aid trucks and 50 fuel trucks must be allowed in,” but said Türkiye has not seen this materialize. He criticized Israel’s policies that have left aid stuck in warehouses and emphasized that Hamas is ready to transfer Gaza’s administration to a committee composed of Palestinians.
“No action that sabotages peace or undermines the cease-fire in Gaza should be allowed,” he said.
Fidan also discussed ongoing talks on the establishment of an international stabilization force for Gaza.
“Work on defining the scope and duties of this force continues,” he said, adding that countries involved will decide on troop contributions based on the final framework. “As President Erdoğan has repeatedly said, Türkiye is ready to make every sacrifice for peace – but the documents and structure emerging from this process must be ones we can support,” he noted.
On Gaza’s post-war administration, Fidan reiterated that governance must remain in Palestinian hands.
“We have a clear consensus that Palestinians should govern themselves, and the international community must support them,” he said, expressing cautious optimism that “Türkiye will continue to do everything possible to achieve peace.
Foreign ministers from the Islamic world convened in Istanbul on Monday to discuss Gaza. Fidan welcomed his counterparts from Indonesia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, while the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar sent senior diplomats to the meeting.
Sources from the Turkish Foreign Ministry said the diplomats would discuss developments regarding the cease-fire in Gaza and the humanitarian situation.
The Oct. 10 cease-fire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump has been sorely tested by continued Israeli strikes, which claimed dozens of Palestinian lives.
In a bid to drive forward reconstruction efforts in Gaza, where Türkiye hopes for a lasting truce, Fidan invited his counterparts for talks.
All participants of the meeting were also called to a meeting with Trump in late September on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly, just days before he unveiled his peace plan.
Turkish Foreign Ministry sources say Ankara will press them to support plans for Palestinians to take control of the coastal territory's security and governance.
At the weekend, Fidan welcomed a Hamas delegation led by Khalil al-Hayya.
"We must end the massacre in Gaza. A cease-fire in itself is not enough," Fidan said, stressing that "Gaza should be governed by the Palestinians."
Earlier on Monday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Hamas appeared committed to the truce.
"It seems Hamas is quite determined to adhere to the agreement while Israel's record is very poor," he told an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) gathering in Istanbul, saying Muslim states should play "a leading role" in Gaza's recovery.
"We believe the reconstruction plan prepared by the Arab League and the OIC should be implemented immediately," he said of the plan unveiled in March.
Fidan is expected to repeat calls for Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza, where aid agencies have complained their convoys still do not have enough access to alleviate the famine conditions in parts of the territory.
