FOREIGN MINISTER HAKAN FIDAN - Dear press members, today we hosted a meeting in Istanbul that is extremely important for regional peace and stability.

We assessed the ceasefire process in Gaza and discussed the matter of humanitarian aid. Distinguished representatives from Indonesia, Qatar, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates participated in our meeting. Our Egyptian counterpart was supposed to be here with us today, but he could not join us due to a very important international meeting in his country.

Dear friends, as you know, our President and the leaders of seven brotherly countries had a meeting with US President Trump in New York, which initiated a new process. The hope for peace that emerged at the summit held in Sharm El-Sheikh subsequently gained the support of the entire world. Within the scope of the agreement, the exchange of hostages and prisoners and the entry of humanitarian aid have begun, Israeli forces have withdrawn to the initially designated line, and returns to northern Gaza have taken place. However, as you know, there are some problems in terms of the full implementation of the agreement. Israel regularly violates the ceasefire and prevents humanitarian aid from being delivered at the necessary volume. We have now reached an extremely critical stage. The countries in today's meeting share a common opinion. We do not want the genocide in Gaza to restart. We fully support the maintenance of the ceasefire and the steps taken towards establishing a lasting two-state peace. I would also like to express that we are ready to fulfil our responsibilities in this regard. It is also necessary for the international community to continue exerting pressure on Israel.

Dear press members, Israel has killed nearly two hundred and fifty Gazans since the declaration of the ceasefire. These attacks, which seek to provoke the Palestinians, must cease immediately. Israel also fails to fulfil its responsibility regarding the delivery of humanitarian aid. According to the agreement, the daily entry of six hundred humanitarian aid trucks and fifty fuel tankers should be permitted, but frankly, we do not see this amount of entry. Due to this policy of Israel, humanitarian aid remains in warehouses or trucks.

Dear press members, we also addressed matters related to the arrangements for the administration and security of Gaza during our meeting. Hamas is ready to transfer the administration of Gaza to a committee composed of Palestinians. These arrangements will become resilient to time and provocations to the extent that they protect the rights of the Palestinian people.

We also discussed among ourselves today the negotiations regarding the mandate and composition of the International Stabilization Force, which is expected to be established in the upcoming days. We agree that this process must be conducted in consultation with the mediators of the agreement and the Palestinian side.

Today, we also exchanged views on recovery and reconstruction activities in Gaza. In fact, we attach great importance to international coordination in this regard. Particularly considering that winter is approaching, concrete steps must be taken quickly in this area. Gaza must stand back on its feet, and the Palestinian people's hopes and faith for the future must be restored. As countries participating in the meeting, we will closely monitor this issue. As participating countries, we hope that the efforts for an inter-Palestinian reconciliation will yield results as soon as possible. We welcome the contacts made in this regard. A unity among Palestinians will also strengthen Palestine's representation before the international community.

Dear press members, the Middle East is a region that had faced crises in the past, but managed to generate peace and stability every time. Today, we have come together with a shared sense of responsibility from seven countries. Here, today, we are sending a clear message together. There is no need to invent baseless excuses or to resort to pretexts to undermine the process. No action that sabotages the ceasefire or undermines peace should be permitted. The will demonstrated by the Palestinians must be reciprocated. The process towards peace must be preserved. This path requires patience and determination. As countries possessing these virtues, we will continue to follow this path. I would like to take this opportunity to express once again my sincere gratitude to all my counterparts who attended the meeting and their delegations. I hope that our joint efforts will contribute to establishing lasting peace and stability in Gaza and in our region.

I would also like to thank you very much for your interest.

QUESTION - Thank you, Mr. Minister.

You mentioned that in today's meeting, the stabilization forces to be deployed in Gaza were also discussed. Could you please provide some more details on this? At what stage is it? In this context, Türkiye's potential deployment of troops to Gaza is also being discussed alongside other countries that attended today's meeting. Will Türkiye send troops to Gaza, and what role will it play there?

Thank you.

FOREIGN MINISTER HAKAN FİDAN - Thank you.

As you know, various discussions and actions are ongoing regarding the establishment of the International Stabilization Force. In this regard, a matter that countries focus on is the establishment of a force whose legitimacy framework and mandate are defined by a United Nations Security Council resolution. There have been some ongoing efforts in this area, but I can only say this: The countries that we contacted have expressed that they will decide whether to send troops or not based on the content of this definition. In other words, countries will decide based on what the ISF's mandate and powers will be. I assume that a mandate that conflicts with the principles and policies of the sending countries would make it difficult for them to send troops. As for Türkiye, our President has stated this many times, and as you know, he was one of the four leaders who signed the agreement in Sharm El-Sheikh. This clearly shows that we are ready to undertake any responsibility for peace, to make any sacrifice. But, as I mentioned earlier, it is also important that the resulting documents and framework are of a nature that we can support. Therefore, our diplomatic contacts and efforts on this matter continue.

QUESTION - Thank you.

Serious concerns have been raised, Mr. Minister, that the US-led Gaza plan will turn into a temporary tutelage regime that will replace local administration and local governance. In this sense, as the Foreign Ministers of Muslim countries gathered today, what red lines have you agreed upon so that the Palestinian people can continue to exercise their right to self-determination, so that this right remains intact?

FOREIGN MINISTER HAKAN FİDAN - First of all, whatever document is prepared or whatever initiative is taken, the long-established and accepted definition of the Palestinian issue must not change. At the end of the day, a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders and the implementation of a two-state solution is, frankly, the recognized definition of the Palestinian issue under international law and practice. Israel has never accepted this, nor has it shown any willingness to do so. However, this is the view accepted by the overwhelming majority of the international community. We also support this view. Therefore, ending the crimes against humanity in Gaza and ensuring the continuation of the ceasefire as soon as possible are matters we support as a first priority. However, we hope that this is a temporary situation, because the general definition of the Palestinian issue must not be allowed to be altered by using this. Therefore, diplomatic caution and attention are needed here. Gaza needs reconstruction, rebuilding, and the return of the people; it needs to heal its wounds. Yet while doing so, as you mentioned, no one wants a new tutelage system to emerge. We see that countries raise concerns that steps taken towards rebuilding Gaza and ensuring peace and security might turn into such a situation.

QUESTION - As you have just mentioned, many countries have been saying that a United Nations Security Council resolution is needed regarding the deployment of the international stabilization force to Gaza and the clarification of its mandate. At what stage are the discussions on this matter, and what do you think the content of the resolution should be?

FOREIGN MINISTER HAKAN FİDAN - Dear friends, work on this matter is ongoing. First, a general consensus must be reached on a draft. It must then be approved by the members of the Security Council, without being vetoed by any of the permanent members. As you know, this is a process. Türkiye and partner countries are continuing their efforts at every stage of the process. This is, indeed, a delicate process. We must be extremely careful throughout this process. Any step taken to resolve the Palestinian issue should not create a structural basis that, while solving today’s problem, may cause new difficulties in the future We pay close attention to this.

QUESTION - Both the Arab world and the Islamic world advocate that Palestine should be governed by the Palestinians. How will the concept of governance in Gaza take shape? Is there similarly a common understanding among Palestinians and the international community in this regard?

FOREIGN MINISTER HAKAN FİDAN - Essentially, there is a consensus among us on this issue. Neither we nor the Palestinians have any problem with it. Israel and other international actors under its influence, however, have a different perspective. Obviously, diplomatic negotiations, disputes, and advancing the groundwork are currently underway to reconcile these two differing views. The question of what the text to be drafted in this regard will be like, what the system to be established will consist of, and whose priorities it will satisfy to what extent is exceptionally important. However, the point we support as principle is that Palestinians should govern themselves, and the Palestinians should ensure their own security. The international community must provide diplomatic, institutional, and economic support to ensure that this is implemented in the best possible way. Now there are some adjustments that need to be made in order to implement it. Frankly, in our discussions with other Foreign Ministers, we are discussing how more creative steps can be taken in this regard. There is currently a ceasefire, but when you want to advance the ceasefire towards a more permanent solution, the starkly contrasting opinions at the core of the Palestinian issue resurface. These are disagreements that have remained unresolved for years. In addition, after two years of genocide and war, a new mindset and security perception have formed. Frankly, resolving all of these issues with a new system will take more time. Nevertheless, we are hopeful and optimistic. We will continue to do everything we can. We hope to sustain our close engagement with our partners on this matter.

Thank you, dear friends.

* Deciphered by Interpress- unofficial translation from the Turkish text