Turkey sticks to diplomacy and advocates for peace in the midst of ongoing violence in Israel

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan received German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday, while Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held talks with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi. One of the main topics of talks was naturally the Palestine-Israel conflict, with Israel now expanding the war to Lebanon and beyond. Ankara, a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause, highlighted the need to force Israel into a cease-fire and a lasting solution to the issue during the talks that came after the assassination of senior Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who succeeded Ismail Haniyeh, also assassinated during the conflict.

In a joint news conference with Scholz in Istanbul, Erdoğan said that the international community should do everything it can to ensure a lasting cease-fire, access to humanitarian aid for Palestinians and pressure on Israel. “As long as massacres in Palestine and Lebanon continue, our region and countries outside the region cannot find peace. More than 50,000 people were slaughtered in the region. All political actors with a conscience should take initiative and prevent Israel’s aggressive policies,” Erdoğan said. The president vowed that Türkiye would adhere to “the stance with a conscience” it has maintained since the conflict began last year.

At the same news conference, Scholz renewed his call on Israel to comply with international law while fighting resistance groups Hamas and Hezbollah. “Israel has the right to defend itself, and it must comply with international law, this is a requirement that is self-evident and has long been part of the foreign policy of Germany,” he stressed. The chancellor acknowledged that Berlin and Ankara have different views on Israel’s military offensives but underlined that they share similar concerns on civilian suffering and the need for a cease-fire. “We agree that de-escalation, cease-fire, and political solutions are necessary to prevent a conflagration in the Middle East,” Scholz said, reiterating that only a negotiated two-state solution could bring peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians.

“There needs to be a credible political process toward a two-state solution, the state of Israel and a viable state for the Palestinians. That is why we continue to strive for this, despite all the setbacks we’ve had so far,” he said.

Contrary to Türkiye’s severe criticism of the Netanyahu government over its genocidal war in Gaza, Germany remains a strong supporter of Israel. Chancellor Scholz had repeatedly said his government bears special responsibility for Israel’s security due to the country’s Nazi past and crimes committed against Jews during World War II. But critics say Germany’s blanket support for Israel’s government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is undermining its credibility abroad and increasingly isolating it on the global stage.

Erdoğan pointed out that Türkiye had joined other countries for the application filed with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over killings of children, women and elderly by Israel in Palestine. “You can’t expect anyone to laud the killing of thousands of people. You can’t expect anyone to tell Israel that it did a good job of killing people by warplanes,” Erdoğan said. He noted that it was the task of the ICJ to hold Israel accountable for its crimes. Answering a question about Israel’s hostility toward Türkiye, the president said it was because of Türkiye’s stance on the issue that Tel Aviv “attacks, assaults Türkiye’s president,” referring to derogatory remarks of the Israeli foreign minister against him.

Expanding conflict

The Turkish president also highlighted the danger of the expanding conflict. “It is clear that Israel, under Netanyahu’s leadership, does not intend to limit this war to a specific circle but rather to expand it. Israel’s capabilities far exceed those of other countries. They have entered a phase of expansion. This war, which started in Gaza, has now spread to Lebanon. Israel, unfortunately, continues its ruthless massacres there, led by Netanyahu. The death of many (Hamas, Hezbollah) leaders seems to bring them satisfaction. The West, especially the United States, has not responded any differently during this process. They continue with the same approach. For Israel, obtaining weapons, ammunition and equipment is not difficult. They obtain them in abundance, and with these resources, Israel continues its massacres in the region,” he said.

Similarly, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned on Saturday that the risk of Israel’s attacks spreading across the region “must never be underestimated.”

“We are in the midst of tension that could have ‘serious’ repercussions globally,” told a news conference with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in Istanbul. Araghci has arrived on a two-day visit to Türkiye on Friday.

Fidan highlighted that regional countries and extra-regional actors “have to avoid taking an irreversible step,” adding that Türkiye does not want a war in its region. In this regard, he called for the exercise of “common sense.” Stressing that there is an urgent need for a cease-fire in Gaza to reduce the current tension, he said Israel must also end its attacks on Lebanon and cease “all kinds of aggressive behavior and provocations.” He said no aid had been delivered to northern Gaza since Oct. 2, stressing that the conditions in the enclave are worsening.

The minister also met delegates from Hamas on Friday and said they discussed efforts to provide more humanitarian aid to Gazans and create international mobilization. He said that during his meeting with the Hamas delegation, they discussed the issue of unity among the Palestinians and learned about the progress on the matter. Underlining that different Palestinian factions last met in Cairo, Fidan expressed gratitude to Egypt for supporting, alongside Türkiye, the internal reconciliation process of the Palestinians. “The better the internal reconciliation process is, the better the Palestinians will ensure their unity, solidarity and stability, the better they will represent their positions, and the more difficult it will be for them to be occupied, expelled and subjected to inhumane treatment,” the Turkish diplomat said. “Therefore, we consider Palestinian internal reconciliation as very important and strategic,” he added.

The foreign minister said Türkiye has increased humanitarian aid activities since the beginning of the war last October, with the humanitarian aid exceeding 84,000 tons.

Highlighting that before the war about 500 trucks were carrying food and humanitarian supplies to Gaza daily, Fidan said the amount now is only 30 trucks a day. “Since the start of October, we are facing such a scenario. Of course, this is deepening the humanitarian crisis,” he said.

Israel has killed more than 42,000 Palestinians in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023. The military campaign has turned much of the enclave of 2.3 million people into ruins, leaving most civilians homeless and at risk of famine. It has also continued air and ground attacks in Lebanon in the past few weeks, killing more than 1,500 people and displacing more than a million.

Fidan said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “constantly opening new fronts in the region” and “is trying to drag Iran into this war.” “He threatens to hit Iran’s oil and nuclear facilities. Israel’s aggressive attitude is forcing Iran to take steps toward self-defense,” he said. Earlier this month, Iran fired ballistic missiles at Israel, in retaliation for the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Israel has vowed a response. Emphasizing that Türkiye and Iran will exist in this region forever, Fidan said they will continue their efforts to improve bilateral relations in every field and increase cooperation on regional issues, and that recent developments have further increased the importance of this cooperation.

For his part, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran was in favor of peace. “The spread of the war in the region is a serious threat; we are in favor of peace, but we are also prepared for any scenario,” he told the news conference with Fidan. Addressing Israel’s aggression in the region, Araghchi said, “All countries, especially Islamic nations, must use every means at their disposal to stop the war machine of the child-killing regime.”

“The continuation of the Zionist regime’s crimes is unacceptable for any country in the region, especially Iran and Türkiye,” he also said.

“The Israeli regime recognizes no limits in the war crimes it commits. We support an immediate and lasting cease-fire in Gaza and Lebanon.”

He emphasized that Israel’s expansionist policies pose a threat to the region and the world, noting the serious likelihood of war spreading in the region. “The region is facing a significant possibility of large-scale war, and no one except the Zionist regime desires this war,” the Iranian diplomat stressed.

With the support of some Western countries, particularly the US, Tel Aviv has become more audacious in continuing its war crimes and acts of genocide, he added. Türkiye’s stance “in supporting the Palestinian people and standing up against the Israel’s crimes is commendable,” he said.

Killing of Sinwar

Türkiye, which declared one day of national mourning after the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, also condemned the killing of Sinwar. President Erdoğan and Fidan offered condolences for the “martyr” Sinwar, while several groups performed funeral prayers in absentia for the Hamas leader over the weekend in Turkish cities.

As he addressed an event in Istanbul on Saturday, Erdoğan said Türkiye always tried to fulfill its humanitarian duty toward Palestinians. “I wish may Allah bless Yahya Sinwar who became a martyr. I remember all the martyrs among Palestinians. Those who died for Allah are not really dead, they are always alive,” Erdoğan said.

Israel intensified its operations in Gaza on Friday following the killing of Sinwar. Netanyahu lauded Sinwar’s death, declaring that it marked “the beginning of the end” for Hamas. He characterized the killing of Sinwar as a crucial milestone in the decline of Hamas.

Following Hamas’ official confirmation of Sinwar’s death, a senior official within the group asserted that Israel’s strategy of targeting its leaders would not lead to their defeat. “Hamas is a liberation movement led by people looking for freedom and dignity, and this cannot be eliminated,” Basem Naim, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

The killing of Sinwar did not spell an end to Israel’s airstrikes on Gaza, with several raids overnight and early Friday pummeling the territory. According to Gaza’s civil defense agency, rescuers recovered the bodies of three Palestinian children from the rubble of their home in the north of the territory after it was hit at dawn. The Israeli military said it was pressing its operation in Jabalia, one of the focuses of the fighting in recent weeks.

With the civilian toll in Gaza mounting, Israel has faced criticism over its conduct in the war, including from the U.S. but Israeli military chief Herzi Halevi vowed to keep fighting until Hamas is annihilated.

More than a year into the Gaza conflict, Sinwar’s death deals an immense blow to the organization, but whether it will trigger a shift in its strategy is unclear. It is also unclear whether his successor will be named in Qatar, where Hamas’ political leadership has long been based, or in Gaza, the focus of the conflict.