Minister Fidan speaks after attending the 'Gaza Peace Board meeting': We are ready to contribute in every field

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who represented Turkey at the first meeting of the Gaza Peace Board held at the US Institute of Peace, answered questions from Turkish journalists at the Turkish Embassy in Washington after the meeting. Stating that the meeting was an important threshold in terms of concrete contributions, Fidan emphasized that Turkey is ready to provide support in every field during the process of rebuilding Gaza. When asked for his assessment of the meeting, Fidan drew attention to the importance of the process and said, "As you mentioned today, we attended an important meeting in Washington. In fact, an invitation had been sent to our President for this first meeting of the Peace Board. We attended on his behalf. This was a board meeting held at the level of heads of state and government."

Stating that the meeting had a ceremonial aspect as it was the first meeting of the board, Minister Fidan described the gathering as a platform where parties declared potential military contributions to the International Stabilization Force (ISF) expected to serve in the Gaza Strip, in addition to financial contributions. Regarding the meeting, Fidan said, "It is important in terms of providing such a concrete output."

Stating that the second phase of the Gaza Peace Plan has been entered, Fidan said, "In the second phase of the peace plan, the reconstruction and development of Gaza are specifically on the agenda. While this is being done, the issue of restoring local government bodies in Gaza is important. A budget is needed for all of this. I think an important threshold was crossed in this sense today."

Emphasizing that international sensitivity must be maintained, Fidan said, "As a contact group, we are working intensively both through our internal coordination and our contributions to the Peace Board to ensure peace and improve the situation in Gaza. The sensitivity of the international public needs to continue here. We must not forget, relax, or become complacent in any way." Minister Fidan stated that otherwise, it is possible to return to massacres, hunger, and misery in the region, adding, "We continue our work with a sense of great responsibility and a spirit of struggle for our Gazan brothers and sisters."

Turkey's concrete contributions to Gaza

In response to the question, "What concrete steps should we expect in the coming days, and how would you evaluate Turkey's role?" regarding Turkey's role in reconstruction and humanitarian aid, Minister Fidan stated that aid continues uninterrupted, saying, "We have had an uninterrupted effort regarding humanitarian aid since the first day. Turkey is acting with a spirit of mobilization in this regard with all its institutions, organizations, and non-governmental organizations. Today, one of our ships reached an Egyptian port to deliver aid supplies to Palestine. These efforts of ours will continue."

Noting that they are planning to send containers with the opening of the Rafah Border Gate, Fidan said, "On the other hand, with the opening of the Rafah Border Gate, we have an initiative to send containers inside, which were very useful to us during the earthquakes. There is a matter of 20,000 containers in the first stage. Our President is very sensitive about this issue as well. Of course, since the containers are metal, the Israelis have quite a few reservations about accepting them. We had quite a long discussion about that today as well."

Stating that work regarding health aid and field hospitals is ongoing, Fidan said, "Our Ministry of Health also has efforts regarding health aid, both in terms of bringing the wounded to Turkey for treatment and providing services there with field hospitals. All these efforts are being coordinated."

Referring to the technical management structure established in Gaza, Fidan said, "In the second phase, there is a Palestinian Technical Management Committee consisting of 15 committee members. These can be thought of as a government. Each committee has a corresponding ministry. The Committee Chair works like a Prime Minister. As you know, we hosted him in Ankara last week. When he was in Ankara, our President was in Istanbul. They spoke by phone over the weekend. Our President explained his own perspective to Dr. Ali Shaat at length during that call."

"There is a need for the support of countries like ours"

Pointing to the importance of rebuilding local capacity, Fidan stated, "The essential point here is that as Gaza gets back on its feet, local administrative bodies need significant capacity in the basic service elements they will provide to the public. Everything here has been destroyed. There is a need for the support of countries like ours for this capacity to be restored." Minister Fidan underscored that they are ready to provide aid in health, education, and similar areas in every possible way.

Touching upon the security dimension of the efforts, Fidan said, "Secondly, training for a police force is currently beginning. A police force will be established so that local security and safety services can be provided for the approximately 2 million people in Gaza. We have a commitment to provide training for this police force, and our President has the will to send troops to a stabilization force if the parties agree."

"We are ready to provide all kinds of contributions"

Summarizing Turkey's approach, Fidan said, "We are actually sending this message: Whether it is humanitarian aid, the administration of Gaza, infrastructure and superstructure services, or a contribution to a stabilization force, we are ready to provide all kinds of contributions in all these areas. Frankly, we are providing our contribution without delay in every area that is available."

Iran-US tension

Responding to a question at the press conference regarding "What is your comment on the latest developments in the region in the context of the tension between Iran and the US?", Fidan stated that diplomatic contacts are continuing, saying, "This is also a subject we are following closely. Currently, in the process that began in Istanbul, the Americans and Iranians have started talking again. This is an extremely important development. They have come together twice since the effort we put forth in Istanbul."

Stating that he held contacts on the subject in the US, Fidan noted that there are promising signs for negotiations. Minister Fidan said, "Essentially, there are many reasons to be hopeful now. Especially regarding the nuclear file, they may reach a result. But on the other hand, we are also observing an increase in military activity. Of course, we are closely monitoring whether this military activity is intended to put pressure on the ongoing negotiations or if it is a preparation for a military operation that has already been decided upon."

Sharing his thoughts on the stance of the parties, Fidan said, "Our wish is for the parties to truly reach a negotiation here without the need for a military operation or war. I spoke with the Omani side, who are mediators in the current talks, I spoke with the American side, and with the Iranian side; the parties are giving positive signals, especially in advancing certain concrete issues, to a degree we have not seen until now. But how this becomes applicable in practice, when it will happen, what kind of perception the parties have regarding this, and how this perception will guide what they do in the next stage—we are at that critical threshold right now. So, it needs to be followed carefully."