ANKARA (Reuters) -President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday he was very pleased that Hamas-Israel negotiations had resulted in a Gaza ceasefire deal, adding that Turkey would closely monitor its strict implementation and continue to contribute to the process.
Turkey, which participated in the ceasefire negotiations in Egypt, has been one of the harshest critics of Israel’s assault on Gaza, calling it a genocide. It has halted all trade with Israel, repeatedly called for international measures against its government, and demanded a two-state solution.
“I am very pleased that the Hamas-Israel talks taking place in Sharm el-Sheikh, with contributions from us as Turkey, have resulted in a ceasefire in Gaza,” Erdogan posted on X.
TURKEY WON’T REST UNTIL PALESTINIAN STATE SET UP
He thanked U.S. President Donald Trump “who demonstrated the necessary political will to encourage the Israeli government towards the ceasefire”, and also thanked Qatar and Egypt.
“As Turkey, we will closely monitor the strict implementation of the agreement and continue to contribute to the process,” he added, saying Ankara would not stop until a sovereign Palestinian state was established.
Turkey’s intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin attended the talks in Egypt. Ankara, which calls Hamas a resistance group, has taken an increased role in discussions after last month’s White House meeting between Erdogan and Trump.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said ahead of the truce announcement that after the sides declare a ceasefire as a first step in Trump’s plan to end the war, they would work on “heavier” issues like ensuring security in Gaza and post-war scenarios.
In a statement, Turkey’s foreign ministry said it hoped the momentum in these talks could lead to a two-state solution.
“We welcome the establishment of a ceasefire in Gaza and hope that this ceasefire will bring an end to the genocide that has continued for the past two years,” it said.
“With the ceasefire in place, it is imperative that humanitarian aid be delivered to Gaza … and that efforts for the reconstruction of Gaza be launched without delay,” it added, saying Ankara would continue providing humanitarian aid.
(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu. Writing by Daren Butler. Editing by Sharon Singleton and Mark Potter)
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