Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan reiterated Ankara’s opposition to U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to move Palestinians out of Gaza and into other countries.
Fidan told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Wednesday that even thinking about it was “absurd.”
“It is a fool’s errand,” the minister said, noting that the current conflict itself stemmed from the displacement of Palestinians from their lands.
During a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump expanded on his earlier proposal to resettle Palestinians in other countries, namely Egypt and Jordan. He said he would make the enclave "unbelievable" by removing the rubble and redeveloping it, suggesting that the U.S. should take over Gaza. His proposal faced stern opposition from the international community, including Egypt, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, while Hamas and the Palestinian Authority flatly rejected the idea.
"We oppose any initiative that leaves people of Gaza out of the equation," Fidan said.
Türkiye is a staunch supporter of the resistance movement Hamas and has repeatedly denounced Israel's "genocide" of Palestinians since 2023. Fidan led the country's diplomatic efforts for a resolution to the Palestine-Israel conflict based on a two-state solution, one with an independent State of Palestine.
"Displacement of Palestinians, evacuation of Gaza is unacceptable. (The conflict) itself originated from Israelis' settlement in lands Palestinians were driven out of. The issue can be resolved largely through the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. This is not accepted by Israel, and its biggest supporter, the U.S., has no will to that extent. Trump showed no commitment to a two-state solution," he said.
"People are exposed to a genocide. 1.8 million people face death. It is questionable to bring up such proposals that would only worsen the conflict," he said.
On a question about reports that the U.S. may work to mediate normalization of relations between Türkiye and Israel, Fidan pointed out that they cut off relations because "Palestinians were killed, subjected to genocide."
"If they stop killing Palestinians, if they offer measures to improve their conditions, Türkiye may review its stance. For now, we have a clear stance. We stand against genocide with whatever methods we have," he said. "Solutions should address the security concerns of both Palestinians and Israel. Unilateral implementation of steps leaves room for future conflicts. Unfortunately, we see the world heading in a direction where the law of the jungle prevails. Nobody cares about what others really need and impose their will because they view themselves as stronger," he said.
