Foreign ministers from several Muslim-majority countries will convene in Istanbul on Monday to discuss the current Gaza ceasefire and potential next steps, including the establishment of a "stability force," Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced on Friday during a press conference in Ankara.
Hakan Fidan © Mena Today
Foreign ministers from several Muslim-majority countries will convene in Istanbul on Monday to discuss the current Gaza ceasefire and potential next steps, including the establishment of a "stability force," Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced on Friday during a press conference in Ankara.
The meeting follows a similar high-level gathering held in New York in September, which brought together representatives from Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Pakistan, and Indonesia alongside then U.S. President Donald Trump.
While the stated objective of the Istanbul summit is to chart a path toward peace and stability in Gaza, the Turkish government’s ongoing open support for Hamas continues to raise serious questions about Ankara's role in any potential peacekeeping or post-conflict stabilization mission.
"The topics being discussed currently are how to proceed to the second stage, the stability force," said Fidan, though he provided few details about the proposed force or its potential mandate.
Critics note that this initiative comes at a time when Turkey has not only refrained from condemning the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, but has also positioned itself as a vocal defender of the group on the international stage.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has repeatedly refused to label Hamas as a terrorist organization, contrary to U.S. and EU designations, and instead refers to the group as a legitimate resistance movement.
This stance has drawn criticism from Israel and its allies. Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled strong opposition to any role for Turkish forces in Gaza under a U.S.-backed ceasefire monitoring mission, suggesting that Ankara’s bias disqualifies it as a neutral actor.
“The Turkish regime cannot act as both arsonist and firefighter,” said one Israeli official, referencing Turkey’s aggressive rhetoric against Israel and its ongoing alignment with Hamas.
As the Istanbul meeting approaches, analysts suggest the event may serve less as a genuine diplomatic push for peace and more as a platform for reinforcing regional support for Hamas under the guise of ceasefire stabilization.
The international community, particularly Western allies, will be watching closely to see whether this gathering in Istanbul advances the cause of peace—or further entrenches divisions in an already volatile region.
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Four Arab states conducted intense diplomacy with the United States and Iran this week to prevent a threatened U.S. attack on Iran over Tehran's use of force against protesters that they feared would have impacts across the region, a Gulf official said.
Two Israeli airstrikes killed five people in Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, local health authorities said, and Palestinian media reported that one of those killed was a senior figure in the armed wing of Hamas.
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