President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is set to travel to Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh on Oct. 13 to attend an international summit aimed at finalizing an agreement aimed at ending the war in Gaza.
U.S. President Donald Trump and his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, will chair the gathering in the Red Sea resort town that will bring together leaders from more than 20 countries.
It will aim "to end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East and usher in a new era of regional security and stability," al-Sisi's office said.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he will attend, as will Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Italian counterpart, Giorgia Meloni.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and French President Emmanuel Macron will also travel to Sharm el-Sheikh. The European Council will be represented by its president, Antonio Costa, a spokesperson said.
"The plan offers a real chance to build a just and sustainable peace, and the EU is fully committed to supporting these efforts and contributing to its implementation," the spokesperson added.
Jordan's King Abdullah II is also expected to attend, according to state media.
There was no immediate word on whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would participate, while Hamas has said it will not take part.
Hossam Badran, a Hamas political bureau member, told AFP in an interview that the Palestinian group "will not be involved."
Hamas "acted principally through... Qatari and Egyptian mediators" during previous talks on Gaza, he said.
Ahead of the summit, tens of thousands of Palestinians streamed north along the coast of Gaza by foot, car and cart back to their mostly wrecked homes in the enclave, as a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas appeared to be holding.
Despite the apparent breakthrough, mediators still have the tricky task of securing a longer-term political solution that will see Hamas hand in weapons and step aside from governing Gaza.
Under the Trump plan, as Israel conducts a phased withdrawal from Gaza's cities, it will be replaced by a multi-national force from Türkiye, Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, coordinated by a U.S.-led command center.
Earlier, Erdoğan thanked Trump for “demonstrating the necessary political will” as well as Qatar and Egypt for facilitating the deal.
He said Türkiye would closely monitor the full implementation of the agreement and continue to contribute to the process.
Erdoğan calls on Israel to uphold agreement
Erdoğan on Oct. 12 called on Tel Aviv to uphold the commitment it has made under the new Gaza ceasefire deal, saying: "Now a much greater test awaits the Islamic world and humanity."
Speaking in the Black Sea city of Trabzon, Erdoğan also addressed the humanitarian aid now on its way to Gaza under the deal, saying that efforts have accelerated and aid trucks sent by Türkiye have also started reaching the Palestinian enclave.
Erdoğan said steps should be taken before winter sets in, adding that the people of Gaza should be rescued from makeshift shelters and pledging Ankara's support.
