Turkey has put a former head of its disaster management agency in charge of its aid to Gaza, a Foreign Ministry source said, a sign it intends to ramp up its role as a guarantor of the new ceasefire after sitting out earlier rounds of diplomacy.
Mehmet Gulluoglu © Anadolu
Turkey has put a former head of its disaster management agency in charge of its aid to Gaza, a Foreign Ministry source said, a sign it intends to ramp up its role as a guarantor of the new ceasefire after sitting out earlier rounds of diplomacy.
President Tayyip Erdogan, a critic of Israel's assault on Gaza, joined long-term mediators Qatar and Egypt this week in signing off on U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to end the war, after largely steering clear of negotiations for two years.
The source said former head of Turkey's AFAD disaster management authority Mehmet Gulluoglu, also a former ambassador, had been appointed as coordinator for humanitarian aid to the Palestinians and travelled to the region on Wednesday.
"Turkey is mobilising all its resources to rapidly deliver aid to Gaza, establish temporary housing areas, and for Gaza's reconstruction," the source said.
Gulluoglu will conduct inspections to identify the necessary aid materials in Gaza and prioritise them, coordinate with U.N. agencies, ensure the unhindered delivery of aid from Turkey, consult with Egyptian and Jordanian officials on deliveries, work on evacuating the wounded and ramping up Turkey's medical support to Gaza, the source said.
Ankara has said it would take part in an international task force to monitor the implementation of the ceasefire accord, though details have yet to be finalised. The Turkish Defence Ministry has said its armed forces stand ready to take part in the task force in a military or civilian capacity as needed.
Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu
Israel said on Thursday it was preparing for the reopening of Gaza's Rafah crossing with Egypt to let Palestinians in and out, but set no date as it traded blame with Hamas over violations of a U.S.-mediated ceasefire.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed his government’s determination to secure the release of all remaining hostages held in Gaza, stating Thursday that "the fight is not over" for Israel, two years after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.
With the guns finally silent in Gaza and the hostages returning home, a fragile ceasefire opens the door to peace — and to a long-overdue reckoning.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.