Turkey is softening its public stance on a proposed international stabilization force for Gaza, signaling flexibility as it seeks to balance a larger role in the ceasefire process with Israeli objections to Turkish troop involvement.
Turkey has softened its public messaging on a proposed international stabilization force for Gaza, signaling new flexibility as it seeks to navigate Israeli objections to potential Turkish troop involvement.
On Thursday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan downplayed questions of leadership and composition of a proposed force for the Palestinian enclave under US President Donald Trump’s peace plan, suggesting they were not Turkey’s main priority.
“We’re ready to participate in the ISF. The Israelis are objecting openly,” Fidan told TRT World in an exclusive interview. “But for us, to be honest … whoever is doing this, it’s a secondary question.”
He added that Ankara’s priority was implementation of the ceasefire plan and stabilizing conditions on the ground.
The ISF is a proposed multinational force that would oversee Israel’s phased withdrawal from Gaza and train vetted Palestinian police officers. Turkey, which played a direct role in efforts to persuade Hamas to accept Trump’s ceasefire plan, has repeatedly signaled eagerness to take part in the force.
Israel, in turn, has strongly opposed Turkish involvement amid the tensions between the two Mediterranean powers over the Palestinian conflict.
Earlier this month, Fidan portrayed Ankara’s potential role as a political anchor for other Muslim-majority contributors, arguing that Turkey’s involvement could lend public legitimacy to deployments that might otherwise face domestic backlash.
“They know we can play a leading role and make it easier for them in terms of public support,” he said on Dec. 6, speaking on the sidelines of the Doha Forum.
As President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has long been a champion of the Palestinian cause, Ankara has sought to expand Turkey’s role in the ceasefire process in order to strengthen the country’s international standing.
A potential Turkish troop deployment in Gaza would also bolster the government’s domestic support in a country where the Palestinian issue resonates strongly.
Israel, meanwhile, has strongly objected to Turkish involvement in a Gaza force, arguing that Ankara’s political stance toward Hamas could allow Turkey to shape postwar governance and security arrangements in the Palestinian enclave in ways Israel views as unfavorable.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar openly opposed potential Turkish troops in October, saying, “Countries that want or are ready to send armed forces should be at least fair to Israel.”
Turkey does not designate Hamas as a terrorist organization, unlike the other NATO allies, and has hosted senior Hamas political figures, who have split their time between Turkey and Qatar in recent years.
Fidan’s comments on Thursday suggest that Ankara is signaling flexibility over its potential role in the ISF as Washington pushes to move to the next phase of its Gaza plan, including the establishment of the ISF.
The Turkish foreign minister’s remarks came ahead of his meetings with US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff as well as Qatari and Egyptian officials in Miami on Friday for discussion of the ceasefire process.