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Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Saturday that Israeli ceasefire violations are making efforts to advance a peace plan in the Gaza Strip “incredibly more difficult,” following high-level talks involving the United States, Türkiye, Egypt and Qatar.
The four countries held discussions on Friday in Miami on the situation in Gaza. Fidan represented Türkiye and later briefed reporters on the talks and his related contacts.
Fidan said significant time has passed since the implementation of the Gaza Peace Plan, which was launched based on an agreement reached at the Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit.
“Now, since the first phase has been completed following the release of the last hostage, the parameters for moving to the second phase are being discussed,” he said.
“Perhaps after Sharm el-Sheikh, yesterday’s meeting was the most important one. Frankly, we continued our meetings in various formats and settings until late last night.”
Describing the talks as promising, Fidan said participants also discussed in detail the problems encountered during the first phase of the plan.
“Especially as Türkiye, we clearly stated that ceasefire violations are endangering the peace plan and creating major risks for transitioning to the second phase,” he said. “The ongoing violations by Israel, in particular, are making the process incredibly more difficult.”
Fidan said all parties agreed that the violations pose serious challenges and discussed ways to prevent further escalation.
Fidan said discussions on the transition to the second phase included a preliminary study on Gaza’s reconstruction.
“As Türkiye, we stated that three parameters are important for us in any work to be carried out regarding Gaza,” he said.
“First, Gaza must be governed by Gazans; second, Gaza must not be divided territorially in any way; and third, everything done in Gaza must be done for Gazans.”
He said significant investment is envisioned for rebuilding Gaza, stressing that the process must directly benefit the local population.
Fidan added that talks also covered potential timelines for transferring Gaza’s administration to a technocratic committee, as well as the establishment of a Peace Council and parallel discussions on forming an International Stability Force.
“I think it was the most important meeting at the highest level since Sharm el-Sheikh,” he said.
Fidan emphasized the importance of humanitarian assistance, noting that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attaches particular importance to the issue.
Referring to Türkiye’s experience after the Feb. 6, 2023, earthquakes, which killed about 50,000 people, Fidan said Ankara completed a massive housing project of roughly 500,000 homes within three years.
“That experience could be applied to Gaza,” he said.
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