Erdoğan urges Israel to halt attacks, comply with Trump's Gaza plan
ANKARA
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan urged Israel on Saturday to “immediately” cease attacks and comply with US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan for the Gaza Strip.
Hamas’ response to the plan “constitutes a constructive and significant step towards the achievement of lasting peace,” Erdoğan wrote on the U.S. social media platform, X.
“As Türkiye, we will continue to strive with all our means to ensure that the negotiations yield the most beneficial outcome for the Palestinian people and that the two‑state solution, supported by the international community, is brought into effect,” he said.
The Turkish president urged that necessary steps “must be taken without delay to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza and to achieve lasting peace.”
“This genocide, this disgraceful picture that has deeply wounded the global conscience, must now come to an end,” he added.
Hamas issued its formal response earlier to Trump's plan, in which it approved the release of all Israeli captives, the delivery of the bodies of the deceased and the handover of Gaza's administration to an independent technocratic Palestinian body.
Earlier Friday, Trump gave Hamas until 6 pm Washington time (2200GMT) on Sunday to approve his plan.
The plan seeks to turn Gaza into a weapons-free zone, with a transitional governance mechanism overseen directly by Trump through a new international body tasked with monitoring implementation.
It includes the release of all Israeli captives held by Hamas within 72 hours of approval, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.
The plan mandates a halt to hostilities, disarming all armed groups in Gaza and Israel’s gradual withdrawal from the war-torn coastal enclave, which is to be governed by a technocratic authority under the supervision of an international body led by the U.S. president.
Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza, home to nearly 2.4 million people, for nearly 18 years. It tightened the siege in March when it closed border crossings and blocked food and medicine deliveries, pushing the enclave into famine.
Since October 2023, Israeli bombardment has killed nearly 66,300 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The U.N. and rights groups have repeatedly warned that the enclave is being rendered uninhabitable, with starvation and disease spreading rapidly amid widespread displacement.
Türkiye's foreign ministry also said Saturday that Hamas' response to Trump's Gaza ceasefire plan would pave the way for lasting peace in the region.
The response by the Palestinian resistance group will “enable the urgent establishment of a ceasefire in Gaza, the uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid to the region, and the steps needed to achieve lasting peace,” said the Foreign Ministry.
It urged the parties to start negotiations to ensure an immediate ceasefire and to implement a two-state solution backed by the international community.
“Israel must immediately cease its attacks on the people of Gaza,” it said.
It added that Ankara will continue to support the negotiations and provide constructive contributions.
Erdoğan-Trump talks
Earlier Friday, Erdoğan held a phone call with Trump at Washington’s request, to discuss bilateral relations and the situation in Gaza, Ankara said.
According to the Turkish presidency, Erdoğan told Trump that his recent visit to Washington had strengthened ties between the two countries and underscored the need to deepen cooperation, particularly in the defense industry.
Erdoğan also emphasized Ankara’s ongoing efforts to secure peace across the region, with a special focus on Gaza, and welcomed international initiatives toward this goal.
“Türkiye is accelerating its diplomatic contacts for peace and will continue contributing to a global vision of stability,” Erdoğan was quoted as saying. He added that ending Israeli attacks was crucial for any initiative aimed at establishing lasting peace.
