Window for lasting regional peace opened after Hamas ceasefire response, says Turkish president

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that a "window of opportunity" has opened for lasting peace in the region following Palestinian group Hamas's response to US President Donald Trump's Gaza ceasefire plan.

Hamas has shown, as it has many times before, its readiness for peace, Erdogan said in his address at a mass inauguration and groundbreaking ceremony in Istanbul. He said the immediate cessation of Israeli attacks is crucial, and the emerging hopes for peace must not be allowed to fade.

On the ceasefire plan, he said it is quite possible to stop the bloodshed and establish peace if all parties act with a sense of responsibility.

Stressing that the most important agenda item in his recent phone call with Trump was Gaza, Erdogan said Ankara welcomes Hamas's response to the US president's ceasefire plan.

Türkiye is working intensively to stop the genocide in Gaza and has mobilized all its resources in every field, from humanitarian aid to diplomatic contacts, Erdogan said, adding that they also made contacts in New York and Washington to this end.

Ankara’s aim in diplomacy for Palestine is to ensure that "our brothers and sisters in Gaza attain peace, tranquility, and security as soon as possible," the president said.

At the UN, Türkiye also brought the Gazan children’s suffering to global attention with visuals, he highlighted, noting that he discussed it with Trump, as well as steps to be taken for peace.

Erdogan said his country will continue to do whatever is needed to prevent the death of another innocent person and to bring a smile to the faces of Gaza's children.

Türkiye is bringing "passengers of hope of the Global Sumud Flotilla to our country," he added.

- Hamas's response to ceasefire plan

Hamas earlier issued its formal response to Trump's plan in which it approved the release of all Israeli captives, the delivery of the bodies of the deceased, and the handover of Gaza's administration to an independent technocratic Palestinian body.

- Global Sumud Flotilla

The Global Sumud Flotilla, en route to break the Israeli blockade and deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, approached Gaza waters on the evening of Oct. 1.

The Israeli army attacked the flotilla, illegally seizing dozens of boats and ships and detaining hundreds of their passengers.

It is the largest flotilla to date to set out collectively to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Since October 2023, Israeli bombardment has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The UN and rights groups have repeatedly warned that the enclave is being rendered uninhabitable, with starvation and disease spreading rapidly amid widespread displacement. ​​​​​​​