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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that no political or security equation — from Syria to Gaza, from the Gulf to the Russia-Ukraine conflict — can be shaped without Türkiye’s involvement.
Speaking at the closing session of the “Century of Türkiye Meetings” at the Istanbul Congress Center, Erdogan said Türkiye has become “a respected voice both in its region and globally — a country that exports peace and stability.”
He emphasized that Ankara’s vision centers on securing a future “where no generation is wasted, mothers do not weep, and peace, security, and prosperity prevail across our entire geography.”
Erdogan said the government’s long-term goal is to ensure the nation’s unity and safety while contributing to a more peaceful and stable region.
“With common will, we will first build a terror-free Türkiye, then a terror-free region as our lasting legacy to the nation’s children,” he said.
He reaffirmed that Türkiye would continue pursuing policies “based on stability, cooperation, and peace” both in its neighborhood and beyond.
Türkiye is in talks with several countries regarding its potential participation in an international Gaza peacekeeping mission, with its military “ready” if needed, a Turkish Defense Ministry source said Thursday.
“We are continuing contact with our counterparts regarding our participation in the task force to be established in Gaza,” the source told reporters.
The task force will operate under the U.S.-led Civil-Military Coordination Centre (CMCC) for monitoring the ceasefire. Based in the southern Israeli town of Kiryat Gat, the CMCC was inaugurated Tuesday by U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance.
Meanwhile, an 81-member Turkish disaster response team sent to help recover Palestinian and Israeli bodies remained stationed near Egypt’s border with Gaza on Thursday, awaiting Israeli authorization to enter the enclave.
The team, from Türkiye’s disaster management authority AFAD, is equipped with life-detection devices, trained search dogs, and specialized rescue equipment.
The first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza ceasefire plan took effect Oct. 10. It includes the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, as well as the reconstruction of Gaza and the establishment of a new governing mechanism excluding Hamas.
Since October 2023, Israel’s war on Gaza has killed more than 68,200 people and injured over 170,300, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
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