Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that an international force in Gaza would not gain the trust of the Palestinian people without Turkey’s participation.
In a Bloomberg interview published on Monday, Erdogan said the success of a so-called international stabilisation force in the enclave would depend on the inclusion of on-the-ground actors with legitimacy.
“It should be known that the countries party to the Sharm El-Sheikh Declaration, including Turkey, are the most legitimate actors in this process,” he said. “You will appreciate that, in this sense, it would be difficult for any mechanism without Turkey to gain the trust of the Palestinian people.”
The “peace deal” brokered by US President Donald Trump in September envisions an international force to guard Gaza and take over areas currently controlled by Hamas.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes Turkey’s participation in the force, which has discouraged other potential partners such as Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia from contributing troops.
