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Türkiye and Qatar have stepped up diplomatic efforts to preserve the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, with their leaders meeting in Doha on Wednesday as intelligence and diplomatic officials coordinated measures to prevent renewed hostilities, sources told AFP.
Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with Hamas representatives in Doha on Tuesday evening, ahead of discussions between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
While diplomats described the ceasefire as entering a highly sensitive phase, a Turkish official said no definitive decisions had yet been made regarding Hamas’s political future or the proposed Gaza task force.
“These issues will depend on how Israel and the United States position themselves during the process,” the official added.
A Turkish Foreign Ministry photo showed Kalin and Fidan meeting the Hamas delegation led by Mohammed Darwish, who reaffirmed the movement’s commitment “to a complete ceasefire despite repeated enemy violations.”
Palestinian analyst Ahmad al-Heela said the combined efforts of Türkiye and Qatar would be vital in maintaining the truce and shaping Gaza’s future, noting the challenge of convincing the United States that Palestinians must have a voice in the territory’s political process.
Erdogan’s office confirmed that he told the Qatari emir the ceasefire had provided relief to Palestinians but insisted that a two-state solution remained the only viable resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Türkiye has actively engaged in mediation efforts in Gaza, positioning itself as a counterbalance to what some analysts describe as Washington’s pro-Israel bias.
Erdogan has offered Türkiye’s participation in a proposed international task force in Gaza, including the potential deployment of Turkish military personnel.
Ankara has also sent 81 disaster response specialists, currently stationed at the Egyptian border, awaiting Israeli approval to enter Gaza and assist in recovering the bodies of Palestinians, Israelis, and hostages trapped under collapsed structures.
King’s College London security expert Andreas Krieg noted that a Turkish presence in Gaza could facilitate the establishment of the multinational security force and advance broader peace efforts.
In addition to the Gaza discussions, Erdogan and the Qatari emir signed agreements on defence industry cooperation, with Türkiye reportedly seeking to acquire some of Qatar’s used Eurofighter Typhoon jets.
A Turkish official said further details of the agreement would be clarified in the coming days, with analysts suggesting the transfer could involve around a dozen aircraft once Qatar receives its new deliveries, likely by late 2025 or early 2026.
