The Turkish military’s cargo planes helped deliver humanitarian aid to Egypt last week to be transferred to Gaza. Defense Ministry sources said Thursday that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) were waiting for orders for more tasks involving the delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestinians and evacuating civilians from the region wrecked by the ongoing conflict.
Gaza has been under heavy Israeli bombardment for 13 days, leaving millions at risk. A hospital attack that killed hundreds in the Palestinian city aggravated the situation.
At a press briefing in the capital, Ankara, Defense Ministry sources said the Turkish army is experienced in evacuation operations as well as health care services but noted that they needed circumstances to be feasible to carry out humanitarian missions. The Rafah border crossing, the only outside link to Gaza, remains closed as Egypt, where it is located, is exerting efforts for its reopening. Türkiye is among countries prioritizing humanitarian aid delivery to Gaza and is engaged in intense diplomatic efforts for a corridor of humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip.
Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmet Yıldız said on Thursday that there were about 700 people awaiting evacuation by Türkiye. Addressing the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Turkish Parliament on Thursday, Yıldız said the group waiting for evacuation included 322 Turkish citizens, 104 citizens of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), 214 Palestinians whose relatives were Turkish citizens and 55 civil servants from his ministry and other government institutions. During a visit to Egypt at the weekend, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan had said there were around 300 Turkish citizens in Gaza and around 30 of them had been evacuated since the new round of conflict began.
A Defense Ministry source also commented on the United States dispatching an aircraft carrier strike group to the Eastern Mediterranean after another one arrived earlier. The source said they were closely monitoring any developments related to defense and security in the region and have taken the necessary precautions.
Many countries have shown a close interest in the region for many years, the source added: “Carrier strike groups periodically perform duties in these areas. The U.S. has announced the deployment of another group, which has not arrived yet.”
“When inquired about this with U.S. counterparts, they said that carrier strike groups had come as part of the evacuation operation for non-combatants and civilians. We are closely monitoring the operations,” the source pointed out.
