Since the early days of the post-Oct. 7 period, Türkiye has been insistently trying to de-escalate the tension in Palestine and to find a way for a lasting cease-fire. In the wake of the Al-Aqsa Flood and the first Israeli reactions, Türkiye called both sides not to escalate the tension. However, with the full support of the global Western powers, the Israeli side intensified its ruthless military campaign against innocent Palestinian civilians, the majority of whom are children and women, with full steam. Türkiye has been following an exceptional policy toward the Gaza crisis. It has taken several significant initiatives since Oct. 7. In this piece, I will classify the Turkish initiatives into three categories. The first one is the unilateral Turkish national actions and policies toward Palestine and Israel. First of all, Türkiye is the largest contributor to the Gaza Strip. It has sent the largest amount of humanitarian assistance to Palestine, mostly through Egypt. Second, Türkiye has cut all its economic transactions with Israel. This measure naturally will have a detrimental impact on the already vulnerable Turkish economy. Third, Türkiye established close connections with the Palestinian leadership, both Fatah and Hamas. Hamas has declared that they want Türkiye to be one of their guarantor states. For instance, as stated by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Türkiye has played a significant role in Hamas’s acceptance of the cease-fire proposal. Fourth, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has proposed a guarantorship model to resolve the crisis. This proposal necessitates the indirect use of force on the ground, thus deterring Israel from attacking the Palestinians any longer.

Bilateral negotiations

The second type of initiative is bilateral negotiations. The Turkish political leadership, including President Erdoğan, has held numerous discussions with the leaders of many countries, including Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Greece, Palestine and Israel. Similarly, Foreign Affairs Minister Hakan Fidan held meetings with dozens of counterparts and visited numerous countries to end the genocidal acts of Israel. Türkiye has asked some regional countries, especially Arab countries, to take more responsibility for ending genocidal Israeli military campaigns. Turkish officials encourage their counterparts to take necessary measures against the Israeli government, at least to isolate Israel and Zionism in the world. The third type of Turkish initiative is Türkiye’s actions within multilateral international platforms. International organizations responsible for global peace and security, such as the United Nations Security Council, have been paralyzed by these Israeli atrocities. President Erdoğan has raised the Gaza crisis at different international summit meetings, including the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) and the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO). Turkish officials have held several meetings with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at different times. Türkiye has been taking initiatives by engaging top-level officials and trying to mobilize relevant regional and global international organizations to take concrete steps toward the resolution of the Gaza crisis to establish a stable peace process and a cease-fire in Gaza. President Erdoğan has underlined the importance of the unity of the Muslim World in addressing the Gaza tragedy. On the one hand, he has emphasized the importance of providing humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people and to end Israeli attacks. On the other hand, President Erdoğan has been advocating international attention and action on the Gaza crisis through diplomatic engagements. In addition, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that Türkiye submitted a formal request to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to join South Africa's genocide case against Israel. Türkiye has also provided documents for the case at the U.N.-affiliated ICJ. Thus, after Colombia, Türkiye has become the second country to join the case. Türkiye led the establishment of a joint diplomatic initiative representing the OIC and the Arab League during a joint summit meeting of the two organizations on Nov. 11. Foreign ministers of Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Indonesia and Nigeria were chosen as members of this diplomatic initiative. The committee members have visited the capitals of many global and regional powers and tried to persuade these countries to put pressure on Israel to halt its operations and establish a lasting peace. Overall, Türkiye has been very assertive and determined in its position toward the Gaza crisis. It has actively participated in diplomatic efforts to address the Gaza crisis and engaged with other countries and various international organizations. President Erdoğan has been leading diplomatic endeavors to halt Israel’s inhuman military operations against the Palestinians in Gaza. Türkiye has utilized diplomacy to foster peace in the Palestinian territories and minimize mass killings of innocent people. Türkiye attaches great importance to a collective effort to bring peace to the region. By emphasizing the central role of Al-Quds in Islamic heritage and the urgency of supporting Palestinian territories, he presented a compelling case for the unity and collaboration of Muslim nations in addressing the crisis in Gaza. [Daily Sabah, May 8, 2024]