Politics
Erdoğan highlights peacemaking bids from Gaza to Ukraine
The G-20 summit in South Africa was an opportunity for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to meet with international leaders and promote Türkiye’s vision for greater global cooperation and lasting peace.
Speaking at a news conference on the sidelines of the summit in Johannesburg on Sunday, Erdoğan underlined Ankara’s peacemaking role. “We will be wherever a problem arises,” he told reporters as he summed up their peace diplomacy.
The situation in Gaza and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, two issues Türkiye is closely interested in, dominated the news conference, while the president said those issues also came up during his bilateral talks at the summit and at the event itself.
“A true global peace cannot be achieved with the establishment of the State of Palestine,” he said as he talked about the ongoing cease-fire in Gaza.
Erdoğan also praised the host, South Africa, which sought the punishment of Israeli officials for genocide in Gaza.
“South Africa’s unwavering support for the Palestinian cause is valuable; they demonstrated an exemplary stance against the Gaza genocide,” he said. “As the whole world was watching crimes against humanity in Gaza, our friends in South Africa did not turn their backs. On behalf of my country and nation, I salute South Africa for its brave stand through a case they filed at the International Court of Justice (ICJ),” Erdoğan said.
South Africa filed the case in December 2023, accusing Israel of genocidal acts in Gaza. Several countries have since joined the proceedings, including Spain, Ireland, Libya, Mexico, Belgium and Türkiye.
The ICJ issued three provisional measures, ordering Israel to prevent genocidal acts and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Erdoğan said Türkiye strongly supported the Palestinian cause without fear and defended the rights of the oppressed in Gaza. “We also stood with our Gazan brothers by sending more than 103,000 tons of humanitarian aid,” he noted. Erdoğan pointed out the recent cease-fire between Hamas and Israel, which was contributed to by Türkiye. “We are doing everything we can to prevent a return to conflict,” he said.
The president said the issue was also discussed at the summit, where he underlined that mitigating the devastation in Gaza was a global responsibility and called for support for humanitarian aid to Gaza and its reconstruction.
“After the cease-fire, it is crucial to implement a two-state solution. Without a State of Palestine based on the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital, a true global peace cannot be achieved. We will adhere to this principled stance for our Gazan brothers and sisters,” he stated.
Türkiye is among the supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan, though it is also cautious about whether Israel would let it happen. Erdoğan often highlights that Israel has repeatedly violated the cease-fire. Türkiye will also join an international task force planned to monitor peace. Yet, the Netanyahu administration is adamant on not allowing Turkish peacekeepers in the region as their hostility toward Türkiye worsened with Ankara’s staunch support for the oppressed Gazans by the Zionist regime. Asked about Türkiye’s participation in the task force, Erdoğan said the Defense Ministry was reviewing the options and would make its ultimate decision after further assessment.
Call with Putin
Erdoğan also answered a question on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Türkiye’s role as a mediator. The president, who recently hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said he would hold a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday.
“We will do everything on the path to peace,” he said. He told reporters that Türkiye’s earlier efforts to reach a grain deal during the conflict failed after reaching a certain point, but he would seek to revive them during his talks with Putin on Monday.
“Hundreds of thousands of people died in the past four years on both sides. Türkiye is worried and works on ways to end all this,” Erdoğan said.
“We will discuss steps to stop killings. I think I will have the opportunity to share details of any conclusion we reach (with Putin) with President Trump and our European friends,” the president said.
Conflict in Sudan
On a question about whether Türkiye would act to resolve the conflict in Sudan, Erdoğan said their Sudanese brothers were waiting for action from them and they would do everything to fix it. “We have always worked to ensure peace around the world, and we will be there wherever we can do it,” he said.
“We worked for peace elsewhere, such as Somalia and we will be everywhere for peace in the future too,” Erdoğan underlined.
A civil war between the Sudanese army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has continued since April 2023. Thousands of people have been killed and more than 14 million displaced due to the fighting. Türkiye backs the state in the conflict and calls for an end to the war.
Under Erdoğan’s leadership, Türkiye has expanded its clout as an essential international actor in Africa, something Ankara ties to its humanitarian approach to the continent, which Ankara long sees as having been exploited by Western colonialism. Warming ties with African countries made Erdoğan a sought-after figure in African disputes. Most recently, the president stepped in to mediate a dispute between Somalia and Ethiopia.
The G-20 summit in South Africa was an opportunity for Erdoğan to meet with international leaders and promote Türkiye’s vision for greater global cooperation and a fairer world order.
Erdoğan told reporters at Sunday’s news conference that he highlighted at the summit the need for financial support to least developed countries to reach the U.N. 2030 development goals.
“It is important to have the G-20 to lead the international community in the face of international challenges. This year’s motto at the summit was leaving nobody behind and I underlined that this should guide us,” he said, as he emphasized the need for international cooperation and multilateralism.
The Turkish leader held bilateral talks with leaders from around the world on the sidelines of the summit over the weekend, while attending several sessions of the global event.
On Saturday, the president attended a session entitled “A Resilient World,” and on Sunday, he joined other leaders for another session on critical minerals and AI.
On the margins of the summit on Sunday, Erdoğan met French President Emmanuel Macron. He also held talks with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. On Saturday, Erdoğan held talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and leaders of the MIKTA grouping of countries. He also held talks with Angola’s President Joao Lourenco, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Erdoğan’s meetings with other leaders mainly focused on ongoing conflicts and the Gaza cease-fire. In his talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Erdoğan said that reviving the Istanbul peace talks between Russia and Ukraine could also open the door to peace, according to a statement from the Turkish Presidency’s Directorate of Communications. He also emphasized the importance of maintaining the cease-fire in Gaza and delivering humanitarian aid to the region, saying that the formula for lasting peace lies in a two-state solution, and that Türkiye is making efforts in this regard.
He told Macron that preserving the cease-fire in Gaza and ensuring humanitarian aid to the region were essential, and reiterated that a permanent peace can be ensured only through a two-state solution, adding that Türkiye worked hard to achieve this formula. On the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Erdoğan told Macron that all diplomatic resources should be utilized to achieve a fair and permanent peace and that Türkiye would continue working to bring the warring sides to “a platform of negotiations focusing on peace.”
Türkiye on Tuesday strongly condemned Israeli airstrikes on the Abu al-Duhur Military Air Base in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province, warning that Israel’s escalating attacks are undermining the country’s territorial integrity and stability.
In a statement issued Aug. 18, the Foreign Ministry said Israeli forces carried out airstrikes on the military facility, located in the Idlib countryside, in the early hours of Tuesday.
“We strongly condemn the airstrikes carried out by Israel early this morning against the Abu al-Duhur Military Air Base in the countryside of Syria’s Idlib,” the ministry said.
The ministry criticized Israel for “recklessly” continuing attacks targeting Syria’s infrastructure and capabilities while violating the country’s territorial integrity and unity.
Ankara also urged the international community to take a firmer stance against Israel’s increasingly aggressive actions in Syria.
“We call on the international community to adopt a more resolute position to put an end to Israel’s aggression against Syria, which is taking on a new dimension with each passing day, and to ensure accountability for these actions that disregard international law,” the ministry said.
The statement comes amid heightened tensions over Israeli violations in Syria, with Türkiye repeatedly stressing the need to preserve Syria’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and political unity.
Meanwhile, Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran strongly condemned the Israeli airstrike on the Abu al-Duhur Military Air Base.
“These attacks targeting Syria’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and infrastructure are a continuation of a reckless policy of aggression that threatens regional peace and stability,” Duran said.
He said that Türkiye, under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, would continue to support Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and oppose any attempt that threatens peace and stability in the region.
Israel’s recent strikes on a military base in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province and the use of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s image in an election poster by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party bearing the slogan “They want Netanyahu to lose” are seen by experts as signs of the growing political and strategic pressure Netanyahu is facing.
“The circumstantial aspect of the issue is that, as Israel heads into an election period, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s main concern is finding a new political target,” Gökhan Çınkara, an associate professor at Necmettin Erbakan University and director of the Global and Regional Studies Center, told Daily Sabah.
“This was already evident in the campaign poster he used for the election,” he said, adding that the decline in support for Netanyahu’s Likud party could be seen as another indication of the pressure he faces.
As Israel’s Oct. 27 elections approach, political parties have stepped up their campaigning.
A new election poster displayed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party on a billboard in Tel Aviv features images of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan alongside Iranian leader Mojtaba Khamenei, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
“They want Netanyahu to lose. Don’t let them win,” as seen in the poster.
The campaign comes amid an increase in rhetoric targeting Türkiye and President Erdoğan by Israeli politicians ahead of the Oct. 27 vote.
Çınkara also remarked that Netanyahu’s political predicament and lack of a clear policy agenda has led him to target figures such as New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in an effort to consolidate his electoral base.
Alongside Netanyahu’s campaign move involving Erdoğan, diplomatic pressure on Tel Aviv is also mounting over the war in Gaza. On Tuesday, Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and special envoy, met Netanyahu to discuss efforts toward a cease-fire in Gaza.
The talks, which lasted about four hours, focused on obstacles to a cease-fire and arrangements for the postwar period. According to U.S. media reports, Kushner urged Netanyahu not to obstruct efforts to reach a cease-fire agreement.
Ufuk Necat Taşçı, assistant professor of International Relations at Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University also noted that Israel entered the conflict with Iran on the basis of flawed intelligence assessments, while largely failing to achieve its main objectives.
He pointed to factors including Gadi Eisenkot’s growing political prominence and internal divisions within Netanyahu’s Likud party as signs of mounting domestic pressure.
As Kushner met Netanyahu, Trump also made remarks on Gaza, pointing to Hamas’ decision to lay down its arms.
“Israel should stop bombing Gaza,” Trump said.
Trump also stated it would not be appropriate for him to become directly involved in Israel’s Oct. 27 elections, though he said he could endorse a candidate.
Furthermore, Merve Suna Özel Özcan, associate professor and the vice chair of the International Relations Department at Kırıkkale University, said anti-Türkiye rhetoric is increasingly being used as a tool for electoral mobilization in Israel, with President Erdoğan portrayed not only as a regional rival but also as an external threat that could help Netanyahu rally support and bolster his political position.
She noted that portraying Türkiye as a potential security threat is not a new development in Israel, pointing to the Nagel Committee report, which had previously raised concerns over Ankara’s growing regional influence, particularly in Syria.
“Against this backdrop, Erdoğan’s appearance in Israeli election propaganda and the targeting of potential Turkish military capabilities in Syria should not be viewed as developments that emerged overnight,” the expert said. “Rather, they are the political and military manifestations of a threat narrative that has been developing for some time.”
Recently, Haaretz, an Israeli newspaper known for its criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, published an analysis arguing that Netanyahu has portrayed Türkiye as a major threat in an apparent effort to gain an electoral advantage while also examining Ankara’s bid to acquire F-35 fighter jets from the United States.
The analysis recalled that President Erdoğan and U.S. President Trump projected a warm rapport during the NATO summit in Ankara and that Washington signaled openness to a potential F-35 sale to Türkiye. It said those developments have been met with growing concern within both the Israeli government and the Israeli public, stating: “The election is approaching, and the ‘Mr. Security’ campaign has begun. In a calculated move, Benjamin Netanyahu last week launched a blitz of interviews, phone calls and statements in an attempt to block the sale of F-35 jets to Türkiye.”
Özcan offered that the changing regional environment following the Mecca Agreement should also be taken into consideration, while cautioning against portraying the agreement as an anti-Israel alliance.
All three countries support a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on the 1967 borders, the expert noted.
“From Israel’s perspective, therefore, the issue is not simply the emergence of another military mechanism, but the possibility that regional powers are beginning to build their own security and stability architecture,” she emphasized.
In an interview with the UAE-based The National, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan last month discussed tensions between Türkiye and Israel, as well as the Israeli government’s regional policies.
Fidan said there was no reason for a direct confrontation between Türkiye and Israel, arguing that Netanyahu has increasingly resorted to hostile rhetoric as he seeks a new political adversary ahead of the country’s upcoming elections.
Aylin Ünver Noi, professor of International Relations and Vice Rector of Beykoz University, indicated that “This should be viewed as an attempt to group together figures who oppose Israel’s regional policies, particularly its policies toward Hamas and the Palestinians.”
Whether the strategy will prove effective remains uncertain, she said, but the choice of figures featured in the campaign is significant because they have been associated with opposition to Israeli policies on the Palestinian issue.
“Türkiye and, in this context, the New York mayor should also be assessed from this perspective,” the expert added.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said last month that the city cannot enforce the international arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but called on the federal government to act.
In the video, Mamdani described the Israeli prime minister as a “war criminal” and said he is not welcome in New York City.
“It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant,” he said in a video posted on X. “The federal government, however, does and I call on them to join the ICC and execute this warrant,” he added, referring to the International Criminal Court.
Noi also described Türkiye’s broader foreign policy as focused on promoting regional and international stability and peace, pointing to Ankara’s diplomatic engagement in several conflict zones stretching from the Balkans and the South Caucasus to conflicts in Africa.
Israel, aggression in Syria
Israel has been carrying out incursions into Syrian territory since the December 2024 since the overthrow of the ousted Bashar Assad regime, including sending troops into a U.N.-patrolled buffer zone that separated Israeli and Syrian forces in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights since 1974.
Israel, on Tuesday, carried out airstrikes on the Abu al-Duhur Military Air Base in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province, drawing attention from both Türkiye and regional countries.
Özcan stated that Israel’s latest strike in Syria should also be assessed within this broader context, arguing that the targeting of Abu al-Duhur Air Base could reflect Israeli concerns over Türkiye’s potential future military capabilities in the country.
“Although the base has remained largely inactive for some time, its potential future use by Türkiye suggests that Israel is concerned not only about existing threats but also about capabilities that could emerge in the future,” she said.
In a statement issued Aug. 18, the Foreign Ministry of Türkiye condemned the Israeli forces that carried out airstrikes on the military facility, located in the Idlib countryside, in the early hours of Tuesday.
“We strongly condemn the airstrikes carried out by Israel early this morning against the Abu al-Duhur Military Air Base in the countryside of Syria’s Idlib,” the ministry said.
The ministry criticized Israel for “recklessly” continuing attacks targeting Syria’s infrastructure and capabilities while violating the country’s territorial integrity and unity.
Ankara also urged the international community to take a firmer stance against Israel’s increasingly aggressive actions in Syria.
Çınkara also added that another key issue for Israel since the Oct. 7 attacks has been how to restore its eroded deterrence.
“Against this backdrop, Israel tends to perceive virtually any military activity in the region as a potential threat,” he underlined. “This has become one of the main factors driving Israel’s increasingly aggressive military posture in places such as Lebanon and Syria.”
Meanwhile, Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran also strongly condemned the Israeli airstrike on the Abu al-Duhur Military Air Base.
“These attacks targeting Syria’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and infrastructure are a continuation of a reckless policy of aggression that threatens regional peace and stability,” Duran noted.
He said that Türkiye, under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, would continue to support Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and oppose any attempt that threatens peace and stability in the region.
“Israel does not want a strong, unitary state on its border because it perceives such a state as a potential security threat,” Noi argued.
She also said the latest Israeli strikes should also be assessed against efforts to rehabilitate Syrian military infrastructure and Türkiye’s close relations with the new Syrian authorities.
“Türkiye has a fundamentally different approach,” Noi stressed. “Ankara wants to see a strong, unitary Syrian state and seeks to ensure its own security through stable relations with its neighbors.”
Türkiye’s broader regional policy is based on having stable and capable states along its borders and developing cooperative relations with them, according to her.
U.S. special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack said Thursday that Washington is working to establish a deconfliction mechanism among Israel, Türkiye and Syria following an Israeli strike on a Syrian air base near the Turkish border.
Referring to the possibility of a Turkish military response, Barrack said Türkiye, after observing aircraft heading toward its territory, may have “understandably prepared to respond.”
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held separate phone calls Tuesday with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, diplomatic sources said.
Fidan and his Qatari counterpart discussed the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the sources.
In a separate call with al-Shaibani, Fidan discussed the latest developments in the region.
The calls came amid heightened attention on regional developments and the situation surrounding the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
Fidan met with his Qatari counterpart, Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, on July 19, a few days after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to the country to extend condolences for the late emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.
Türkiye and Qatar have steadily deepened their strategic partnership since establishing it in 2014 through high-level exchanges and bilateral agreements spanning a wide range of fields.
On the other hand, Fidan hosted his Syrian counterpart, Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, in Ankara on July 6 as the two neighboring countries continue to deepen relations following the collapse of the Baathist regime in 2024.
Regarding the U.S.-Israel-Iran war, Syria’s top diplomat stressed that the fighting in the region should come to an end as soon as possible. He noted that the regional tensions were also affecting Syria and said Damascus condemned Iran’s attacks against the Gulf countries.
Civil society groups supporting Palestinians will hold simultaneous events in more than 17 countries on Wednesday to call for greater humanitarian access to Gaza as the world marks World Humanitarian Day.
The global initiative, called the “Voice of Humanity,” will take place across five continents on Aug. 19, according to Osman Nuri Kabaktepe, head of the Palestine Support Platform, one of the organizations participating in the campaign.
Speaking at a news conference in Istanbul, Kabaktepe called on the public to support the initiative, saying access to food, medicine, shelter and healthcare should be regarded as a fundamental right rather than a concession.
“We are talking about a right, not a favor,” Kabaktepe noted, arguing that restrictions on humanitarian assistance have left civilians in Gaza struggling to obtain essential supplies.
Kabaktepe said tens of thousands of civilians have been killed during Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and that children, women, patients and other vulnerable people continue to face difficulties accessing food and medical supplies.
He also accused Israel of failing to comply with provisions on humanitarian assistance under a cease-fire agreement, saying the arrangement envisaged the entry of at least 600 aid trucks into Gaza each day.
Kabaktepe called for the establishment of a humanitarian corridor and urged international organizations and institutions to work to ensure the delivery of aid into the Palestinian enclave.
As part of Wednesday’s campaign, supporters in Istanbul are expected to gather at Üsküdar Square at 6:30 p.m. local time.
Organizers will call for humanitarian assistance to be kept separate from political negotiations and for restrictions on aid deliveries to Gaza to be lifted.
“Humanitarian aid cannot be a matter of negotiation,” Kabaktepe underlined.
He urged international organizations and governments to increase efforts to secure humanitarian access to Gaza.
World Humanitarian Day is observed annually on Aug. 19 to recognize humanitarian workers and people affected by crises around the world.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi discussed efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and preserve the cease-fire in a phone call Monday, Turkish diplomatic sources said.
The two ministers reviewed the latest developments in ongoing negotiations concerning the reopening of the strategic waterway and the continuation of the cease-fire, according to the sources.
The two top diplomats spoke amid ongoing tensions in the region, with suspected Iranian drones targeting Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani’s office in Irbil on Monday.
Meanwhile, Fidan also held separate phone calls with Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) President Nechirvan Barzani and KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Monday, Foreign Ministry sources said. The talks focused on the latest developments in the region, the sources added.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan congratulated newly appointed British Prime Minister Andy Burnham during a phone call Monday, as the two leaders pledged to deepen the strategic partnership between Türkiye and the United Kingdom, particularly in defense, security, trade and investment.
Erdoğan and Burnham discussed bilateral relations as well as regional and global developments, according to a statement on the call.
Erdoğan congratulated Burnham on assuming his new post and expressed confidence that relations between Ankara and London would reach new heights in the coming period.
The president highlighted the significant progress Türkiye and the U.K. have made in cooperation across a broad range of areas, particularly in the defense industry.
He also underscored the importance of the Strategic Partnership Framework Document and the Security and Defense Partnership Document signed by the two countries, describing them as key instruments for strengthening bilateral cooperation.
Erdoğan said Ankara and London would continue working together to increase bilateral trade volume and achieve their shared objectives in investment, while building on the growing strategic partnership between the two NATO allies.
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