EditIstanbul summit tests Muslim unity on Gaza as Turkey pushes for Palestinian control
The meeting brought together ministers from Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Qatar, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan
A key diplomatic meeting on Gaza unfolded in Istanbul on 3 November, bringing together foreign ministers from Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Qatar, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan.
Following the U.S.-mediated Gaza ceasefire under President Trump, it remains unclear how Muslim countries will contribute to peacekeeping and postwar governance, an issue the Istanbul summit was expected to address.
The agenda focused on assessing the Gaza Strip’s situation, scaling up humanitarian aid, and coordinating a path to a lasting ceasefire. According to diplomatic sources, discussions covered ceasefire progress, civilian needs, and joint actions by Muslim countries to restore regional stability.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, per BBC Türkçe, urged immediate steps to place Gaza’s security and administration “in the hands of the Palestinians,” stressing coordination among Muslim states to turn the truce into durable peace.
The summit follows a September UN General Assembly meeting with then-U.S. President Donald Trump, where the same countries participated. The U.S.-brokered October ceasefire delivered hostage-prisoner exchanges but stalled on Hamas disarmament and Israel’s withdrawal timeline.
In the meantime, tensions between Israel and Turkey have flared. Ankara offered to join an international ceasefire monitoring mission, but Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar rejected any Turkish military presence in Gaza.
Speaking in Ankara, Fidan called the Istanbul talks “crucial” for the next phase: “There are obstacles and problems; we must plan ahead with regional partners and Western friends,” he said.
The humanitarian toll mounts: Israeli strikes killed over 100 civilians on 29 October. On Sunday, Hamas handed over three hostage bodies via the Red Cross; 11 remain missing.
Turkey’s ambitious foreign policy and strained ties with Israel
Turkey under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pursues a bold, neo-Ottoman foreign policy—projecting influence across the Middle East, Mediterranean, and Muslim world through mediation, military presence, and economic leverage.
Since 2002, Ankara has intervened in Libya and Syria, hosted Hamas leaders, and normalized relations with Egypt and Gulf states while distancing itself from traditional Western alignment.
Relations with Israel – once close allies with strong trade and defense ties – collapsed after the 2010 Mavi Marmara flotilla raid, in which Israeli forces killed nine Turkish activists. Erdoğan labeled Israel a “terror state,” and ties have since seesawed between diplomatic freezes and pragmatic resets. A full trade embargo was imposed in May 2024 amid the Gaza war.
Despite U.S. praise for Turkey’s mediation role in the October 2025 ceasefire, Israel views Ankara’s support for Hamas and its Gaza ambitions with deep suspicion. Erdoğan’s rhetoric – condemning Israeli actions as “genocide” – and Turkey’s bid to lead Muslim-world responses reflect its broader goal: positioning itself as a moral and strategic leader in the Islamic world, even at the cost of friction with Israel and cautious Arab states.
Caption: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attends a press conference following a ministerial meeting on the Gaza ceasefire, in Istanbul, Turkey, 03 November 2025. Turkey’s foreign minister hosted a meeting about recent developments in Gaza following the 10 October ceasefire agreement. EPA/ERDEM SAHIN
Updated: November 4, 2025 - 07:17
