Turkey‘s Minister of National Defence, Yaşar Güler, announced that his country will maintain its humanitarian aid to Gaza and that the Turkish Armed Forces are ready to participate in the multinational peacekeeping force that is expected to be sent to the Palestinian enclave, as part of the peace plan proposed by Trump and accepted by the Netanyahu government and Hamas.
In statements reported by the Turkish daily Hürriyet following the meeting of NATO defence ministers and the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, held at the Atlantic Alliance headquarters in Brussels, Güler explained that NATO’s deterrence and defence, support for Ukraine and other international security issues were discussed during the sessions.
Güler recalled in this regard that Turkey is among NATO’s top five troop contributors and underlined the commitment to “our contribution to NATO defence and deterrence, especially in operations and missions, and our determination to equip the Turkish Armed Forces with modern systems and to reach the 5% defence spending commitment target”.
On the Gaza ceasefire, the minister expressed the Turkish government’s “satisfaction and its value as a starting point towards a just two-state solution, the need to fully implement the ceasefire and ensure uninterrupted humanitarian aid, and Turkey’s readiness to participate in the multinational force to be formed in Gaza”.
Support for Ukraine and participation in European security
Güler added that Turkey will continue to support Ukraine, both bilaterally and through NATO, and will continue to support diplomatic efforts to achieve a ceasefire and peace. He also stressed the relevance of Turkey’s full participation in the defence and security of Europe, including the EU-led Security Action for Europe (SAFE). “As a NATO Ally, we have participated in these meetings for over 70 years, and have conveyed to our partners our national position and assessments on a wide range of issues,” he stressed.
Later, Defence Ministry spokesman Zeki Aktürk reaffirmed Ankara’s readiness to send troops to the Palestinian enclave, saying that “with the experience gained in previous peace missions, the Turkish Armed Forces are ready to take on any task given to them to establish and maintain peace within the framework of international law“. “We welcome the Gaza ceasefire agreement, which we consider a fundamental step towards lasting peace in the region,” he added.
Under the agreement signed on 13 October in Sharm el-Sheikh between US President Donald Trump and several regional leaders, it provides for a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza to be replaced by an international force coordinated by a US-led command centre, which will include troops from Turkey, Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Turkey has also appointed diplomat Mehmet Güllüoğlu as humanitarian coordinator for Palestine, overseeing Turkey’s humanitarian operations in Gaza. Since the Israeli attacks began in October 2023, the Eurasian country has sent more than 102,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid by sea and air to the Palestinian enclave, according to official figures.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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