Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has accused Israel of holding the residents of Gaza hostage, noting that Tel Aviv appears “unenthusiastic” about a permanent ceasefire in the region.
In statements made to a local channel on Sunday, Fidan affirmed that the people of Gaza are currently being held hostage by Israel in a specific geographical area, where humanitarian aid is not allowed to enter, and some of that aid is being targeted, infrastructure is being destroyed, and access to electricity, water, and communications is being cut off.
The Turkish Foreign Minister pointed out that more than two million people in Gaza are facing the risk of hunger and infectious diseases.
On another note, Fidan stated that Israel is not seeking security but rather more land, and emphasized that they “will be safe on the day when the Palestinians are given their state.”
He stressed that the decision of the International Court of Justice against Israel in the genocide case is crucial, underscoring the necessity of stopping the massacre in Gaza first and if the violence is not stopped, the tragedy will repeat itself.
Fidan mentioned that there is currently a proposal on the table for a ceasefire agreement, and Hamas is currently assessing it, indicating that one of the goals of Hamas is the release of prisoners and detainees in exchange for a permanent ceasefire.
The Turkish Foreign Minister also urged to avoid the risks of a widening confrontation between Iran and the United States, stating “the situation is not good.”
The destructive Israeli war on the Gaza Strip has been ongoing for over 4 months (Anadolu Agency).
Normalization with Egypt and Syria
In another context, Fidan pointed out that the process of normalizing relations with Egypt has “largely been completed” and that the two countries “have benefited from it,” adding that the Turkish and Egyptian peoples’ histories are intertwined.
He emphasized the importance of bilateral relations between Turkey and Egypt in terms of regional security and trade relations. He mentioned that there are many Turkish investors in Egypt and expressed Ankara’s desire to increase investments there.
Fidan also affirmed the importance of Egypt’s role in the regional context, especially regarding the Palestinian issue. He highlighted the importance of normalizing relations for Cairo to obtain certain support and specific technologies, adding “we have an agreement for Turkey to provide drones and other technologies.”
He emphasized the importance of cooperation between Turkey and Egypt in Africa as well, especially in Libya, indicating that the more relations are normalized with Egypt, the more significant positive repercussions there will be, especially on policies in Libya. He also emphasized the importance of achieving genuine cooperation between Turkey and Egypt regarding the “security of the Mediterranean.”
Fidan also touched on the talks between Turkey and the Syrian regime through various channels, clarifying that “the Syrian regime’s attempt to make a diplomatic move by putting preconditions on Turkey is a wrong approach.”
He affirmed Turkey’s support for the territorial unity of Syria as neighboring countries, adding that Turkey hasn’t made any attempts that contradict the Astana process.
He emphasized that “the Syrian regime is still unable to meet with Turkey for various reasons, and even when they do meet with us, they are not their usual selves.”
The Turkish Foreign Minister added that “there has been no opportunity for a bilateral meeting with the Syrian regime, and there is always another country alongside them.”
