Turkey Has A Crucial Role In The Rebuilding Of Gaza – OpEd |
By Dr. Sinem Cengiz
After more than two years of Israel’s war on Gaza, a conflict that has left thousands of Palestinians dead, a breakthrough occurred in October with the signing of a US-led Gaza ceasefire agreement in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. With the truce now in place, the time has come to move to the next phase of the agreement: the establishment of an International Stabilization Force.
Turkiye was one of four countries that signed the agreement alongside the US, Egypt, and Qatar. This agreement was not the achievement of a single party, but a collective effort aimed at Gaza’s future. As such, each signatory bears significant responsibility for implementing it.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s personal diplomacy with the leaders of the other guarantor states, along with the constructive dialogue maintained by Turkish institutions, including the Foreign Ministry and intelligence services, with their regional counterparts, helped bring the process to this stage. However, Israel continues to pursue a spoiler strategy to disrupt the process. The main pretext for this strategy is Turkiye’s inclusion.
There are now growing divergences between the US and Israel regarding Turkiye’s role. Washington’s position is clear: It considers Turkiye’s role crucial and supports its inclusion in the post-Gaza framework. Regional countries share this view, seeking to broaden regional cooperation for Gaza by involving all key actors. Turkiye maintains close ties with all four guarantor states.........