Turkish foreign minister pushes for 2nd phase of Gaza deal as ceasefire violations mount, says ready to join stabilization force

By Gizem Nisa Demir

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Türkiye is pressing for the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement to start as violations continue to mount, warning that renewed violence could spread beyond the enclave while stressing Türkiye’s readiness to contribute to international stabilization efforts.

Speaking to national broadcaster TRT World in an interview that aired Thursday, Fidan said the ceasefire was “very much precious for us because we've seen the horror, the human tragedy, the genocide that took place in Gaza over the last two years,” since fall 2023.

But he added that “there are constant violations of (the) ceasefire,” noting that “since the (Oct. 10) declaration of the ceasefire, almost 400 Palestinians have been killed.”

Fidan said Türkiye supports moving the deal to its second phase, which includes a planned international stabilization force and a governance mechanism for Gaza. “Over the next couple of weeks, we will see some preliminary clear results of those discussions.”

He said Türkiye is ready to take part in such a force, despite Israeli objections, arguing that Ankara has acted as “the voice of the human conscience, the international conscience in the face of the Israeli atrocities in Palestine.”

On Syria, Fidan said ISIS (Daesh) remains a serious threat but can be contained through regional cooperation, stressing that Türkiye and Syria have “healthy cooperation right now.”

He warned that delays in integrating the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into the new Syrian security structure threaten national unity, saying patience among relevant actors is “running out.”

Turning to the Russia–Ukraine war, Fidan said Türkiye supports ongoing mediation efforts led by the US and believes the parties are “very close to reach a deal now,” adding that any agreement would ultimately need public legitimacy in Ukraine.

He also reiterated that maritime security in the Black Sea remains critical, warning that escalating attacks risk wider regional instability.