Turkey Hosts Meeting of Leading Islamic Foreign Ministers To Discuss Future of Gaza

Latest Developments

• ‘Palestinians Should Govern Palestinians’: Turkey convened a meeting of foreign ministers of Muslim-majority countries on November 3 to discuss the future of the Gaza ceasefire deal, the humanitarian situation in the coastal enclave, and the proposed International Stabilization Force. “Our principle is that Palestinians should govern the Palestinians and ensure their own security, [and] the international community should support this in the best possible way — diplomatically, institutionally, and economically,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said after the meeting. Attendees included ministers from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Pakistan, and Indonesia. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has openly supported Hamas throughout the war in Gaza, called for Islamic nations to “play a leading role in the reconstruction of Gaza,” while accusing Israel of violating the October 10 ceasefire agreement.
• Turkish Foreign Minister Met Hamas Delegation: The ministerial follows Fidan’s meeting with Hamas leaders, led by the terror organization’s chief Khalil al-Hayya, in Istanbul on November 1. Hamas, whose atrocities in Israel on October 7, 2023, triggered the Gaza war, is being included among eight Palestinian factions holding closed-door meetings to decide on the specific members of a post-war administration in Gaza. Despite being required to do so by the Trump administration’s 20-point plan for Gaza, Hamas has refused to disarm or relinquish control of the territory, while it continues to hold hostage the bodies of kidnapped Israelis.
• Israel Opposed to Turkish Presence in Gaza: Israeli and U.S. leaders have disagreed on whether Turkey should have a role in the future of Gaza due to Turkey’s belligerent stance toward Israel and its support of Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has opposed Turkey’s involvement in Gaza, stating, “Israel will determine which forces are unacceptable to us … [and] this is, of course, acceptable to the United States as well.” Meanwhile, the Trump administration, which involved Ankara as a mediator with Hamas to reach the ceasefire deal, has signaled that it believes “there’s a constructive role for the Turks to play” in Gaza. U.S. Gulf allies, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, are also reportedly expressing reservations about the inclusion of Turkey as well as Qatar, which has also actively supported Hamas.

FDD Expert Response

“Turkey’s physical presence in Gaza as part of any stabilization force is not only ill-advised but also dangerous. Turkey lost all claim to be a credible actor to secure peace after siding with Hamas and aiding its murderous campaign. At this fragile moment, positioning the Turkish military inside Gaza risks placing a NATO-grade force side-by-side with Hamas, providing the terrorist entity with an unprecedented opportunity to secure arms and provisions from Turkey as well as gain a professional fighting force by its side. Ankara should stick to providing humanitarian relief efforts.” — Sinan Ciddi, Senior Fellow

“The Istanbul meeting will need careful watching in Washington. Turkey and Qatar will approach it in a spirit inimical to Israeli security whilst seeking to avoid being accused of frustrating President Donald Trump’s objectives. Fortunately, the Saudis, Emiratis, and Jordanians will be alert to this risk and unwilling to let Turkey, especially, pursue an agenda that increases its leverage in Gaza. The meeting must stick to the issue of how to keep pressure on Hamas to comply with the Trump plan and accept the deployment of an International Stabilization Force that will empower other Palestinians to step up in the administration of Gaza.” — Edmund Fitton-Brown, Senior Fellow

“Despite ample agreement that Hamas must not be a part of the governing structure of a future Gaza, efforts are being made to ensure the terror group is represented at the table. In the past week, members of the Hamas leadership met with senior Turkish officials in Istanbul to discuss economic and security arrangements in Gaza. Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Turkey are currently meeting in Istanbul to form a consensus on a security force for Gaza. The United States should remain skeptical of any security contributions from countries that are actively hosting Hamas leadership.” — Tyler Stapleton, Director of Government Relations, FDD Action

FDD Background and Analysis

“Why Turkey Can’t Bring Peace to Gaza,” by Sinan Ciddi and William Doran

“Jordan’s King Abdullah II Says No Country Will Volunteer to ‘Enforce’ Gaza Ceasefire,” FDD Flash Brief

“Turkey’s Gulf Tour and Erdogan’s Gaza Ambitions are Dangerous,” by Sinan Ciddi and Ahmad Sharawi

“What must be done — and NOT done — to make sure Gaza cease-fire holds,” by Bradley Bowman