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Türkiye would have withdrawn from the Egypt peace summit if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had attended, according to Turkish columnist Abdulkadir Selvi, who wrote in Hurriyet on Wednesday that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's diplomatic pressure ultimately blocked Netanyahu's participation.
The diplomatic crisis unfolded as Erdogan's plane approached Sharm el-Sheikh, when Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan learned through his Egyptian counterpart that U.S. President Donald Trump had requested Netanyahu's invitation via Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, according to Selvi's detailed account of the mid-flight confrontation.
"An action plan was prepared at the front of the plane," Selvi wrote.
"If, despite all these efforts, there was insistence on Netanyahu's participation in the summit, Plan B would be kept ready. They would leave the summit, board the plane and return to Türkiye," he added.
The Turkish president's response was reportedly immediate and uncompromising when informed of Netanyahu's potential attendance.
"Erdogan took a very clear and determined stance. He gave instructions to prevent Netanyahu from coming to the summit," Selvi reported, quoting Erdogan as saying: "If necessary, I will speak with heads of state."
Ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) spokesperson Omer Celik confirmed Tuesday that Erdogan's position was absolute.
"Our President would never accept being in the same photo frame with Netanyahu. He wouldn't accept being at the same summit. He wouldn't accept being at the same table," Celik said at party headquarters.
The aircraft executed an unusual maneuver at 12:47 p.m., pulling up just as its wheels were about to touch the runway. The plane circled over the Red Sea for 19 minutes before finally landing at 1:06 p.m., coinciding with the Israeli Prime Minister's Office announcement that Netanyahu would not attend.
Foreign Minister Fidan and intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin rapidly mobilized international opposition, with Qatar, Iraq, Indonesia and Pakistan taking what Selvi described as "very clear positions" against Netanyahu's attendance.
"The message 'Reconsider the Netanyahu decision. Don't let Netanyahu cast a shadow over the summit. If Netanyahu is there, we are not' was conveyed to the U.S.," Selvi wrote, adding that the threat of multiple nations leaving "alarmed the U.S."
The columnist warned of near-catastrophe: "The danger of the historic summit turning into a historic fiasco emerged."
According to Selvi's account, the diplomatic pressure campaign had three phases if Netanyahu's attendance continued: Türkiye would delay arrival at the summit venue, remain in a separate area at the fairgrounds, and ultimately execute the withdrawal plan if pressure failed.
The 19-minute flight delay immediately sparked comparisons to Erdogan's famous 2009 Davos walkout over Gaza.
"Because of the news about Netanyahu's participation in the summit that we were discussing, this situation caused comments like 'We're returning to Türkiye.' Some said 'A second one minute is happening,'" Selvi noted.
Turkish officials attributed the delay to technical reasons. "President Erdogan and his delegation don't link the plane's pass over the runway to the Netanyahu incident. They speak of a technical necessity. Information is given that it was passed due to an aircraft on the runway," according to Selvi's report.
Selvi detailed the tense negotiations: "When the Netanyahu news came, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called Egyptian Foreign Minister Shoukry. The Egyptian Foreign Minister confirmed the news. He said Trump called Sisi, asking him to invite Netanyahu. He gave information that Sisi then called and invited Netanyahu."
AK Party spokesperson Celik noted that Turkish delegations routinely prepare contingency plans for international summits. "We go to all these summits with more than one scenario in our bag," he said Tuesday.
"Of course, there was no question of Netanyahu participating in this summit from the beginning. But since we are prepared for every scenario, a study had been done on how to act if such a situation arose," Celik explained during his press conference following the party's Central Executive Committee meeting.
The Turkish delegation's message remained firm even after landing: "If our plane had landed and the possibility of Netanyahu coming had continued, our efforts to prevent it would have continued," delegation members reportedly told the Turkish columnist.
"This decision and this determination were also communicated to the other side," Selvi wrote, indicating Turkish officials directly informed summit organizers of their walkout threat. "Efforts would be made to solve this problem without damaging the harmony between Erdogan and Trump."
The crisis was resolved when Netanyahu's office announced his non-attendance just as the Turkish plane touched down, allowing the summit to proceed. The result was a four-nation peace agreement signed by Türkiye, the United States, Egypt, and Qatar for the Gaza ceasefire implementation.
Celik concluded his Tuesday remarks by emphasizing Erdogan's unwavering stance: “Our President’s position is crystal clear. I’ll leave it at that.”
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