ANKARA — Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will travel to Washington on Thursday for the Board of Peace meeting on Gaza, as Ankara continues to push for a role in a proposed multinational security mechanism for the territory after the war.
Turkey’s pitch: Fidan is expected to reiterate Turkey’s readiness to join international mechanisms aimed at protecting Palestinian rights and ensuring security in Gaza, including the International Stabilization Force, according to a diplomatic source. He is also expected to signal openness to contributing Turkish troops.
The ISF is a proposed multinational force that would oversee Israel’s phased withdrawal from Gaza and train vetted Palestinian police officers under US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan.
Fidan is also expected to press Israel to halt ceasefire violations and lift restrictions that are hampering the steady flow of humanitarian aid into the enclave, according to the source.
He will also raise concerns over expanding illegal settlement activity in the West Bank and rising settler violence, the source said.
Why it matters: Turkey, one of the mediators of Trump’s Gaza peace plan along with Qatar and Egypt, joined the board in January despite Israeli objections amid heightened tensions between the Jewish state and Ankara over the war in Gaza.
The US-led international Board of Peace, chaired by Trump, was created to oversee the ceasefire in Gaza and Hamas’ disarmament, coordinate reconstruction and stabilization, and support governance arrangements under the broader peace plan endorsed by the UN Security Council. Its mandate was later expanded to include promoting peacekeeping and conflict mediation efforts beyond Gaza. In addition to Turkey, Qatar and Egypt, the three mediators of the peace plan, alongside Israel, the board also includes regional countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Indonesia and Pakistan.
Israel also remains opposed to any Turkish military presence in Gaza, fearing that Ankara’s ties with Hamas could complicate the group’s disarmament, a key requirement under Trump’s plan.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar is also expected to attend the meeting on Thursday. While the format remains unclear, a joint session would mark the first time Turkish and Israeli top diplomats have sat at the same table since the start of the Gaza conflict.
Background: Turkey and Israel withdrew their ambassadors shortly after the Gaza war erupted in October 2023. Ankara has since accused Israel of genocide and joined proceedings against Israel at the International Court of Justice. Israel, in turn, rejects the genocide allegation, accusing Turkey of having ties to Hamas. Turkey is the sole NATO country that doesn’t recognize the militant group as a terrorist organization. Hamas’ political leaders divide their time between Qatar and Turkey.