By Janet Ekstract ISTANBUL- On Sunday, in an interview with Saudi state-owned Al-Arabiya channel based in Riyadh. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan reiterated his country’s efforts toward achieving a ceasefire in Gaza and a two-state solution for the Palestinians. Hakan said “If we do not learn from this tragedy and pursue a two-state solution to the crisis, this will not be the last Gaza war. Other wars and more tears will await us.” Fidan added: “We need to urge Israel to accep the 1967 borders. All Palestinians, not just Hamas, agree to the establishment of a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders.” As Fidan pointed out in the interview, “Israel continues to steal land and it uses Hamas as an excuse to hide it. It tells everyone, ‘Look at Gaza!’ Meanwhile, it continues to steal land in the West Bank. The international community must wake up and see this hypocrisy.” Turkiye, Fidan emphasized has been making securing a ceasefire a priority and is in close contact with Qatar on the issue. The Turkish foreign minister said Turkiye is “trying to ensure the entry of humanitarian aid” while “trying to mobilize the international system for a two-state solution, which we see as a strategic and lasting solution.”
Fidan lauded his support for Egypt and Qatar’s work to secure a ceasefire and said the negotiation process is ongoing. He said that the Palestinian and Israeli conflict is a “difficult issue” and said Israel has been dragging its feet on reaching an agreement or a compromise. To that end, analysts have highlighted the fact that it’s not advantageous for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to reach any type of deal since his far-right ministers have no desire to see such an agreement take place. Political pundits and analysts have repeatedly noted that if the war ends that Netanyahu will be forced to answer for his ongoing criminal trial in a court in Israel and he will have to end his political career. Though mass protests in Israel have called on Netanyahu to resign, he has ignored the writing on the wall. After Hamas agreed to a ceasefire deal on May 6, Israel accused Hamas of engaging in what it said is a “ruse.”
Turkiye’s President Erdogan who was planning to normalize ties with Israel prior to the October 7 attack and subsequent war in Gaza, broke off ties with Israel, sharply condemning Netanyahu and his military’s tactics in Gaza which he says amounts to “genocide.” Turkiye announced last week that it will join the case filed against Israel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) along with Nicaragua and Columbia. Currently, a team of Turkish legal experts is also working to get the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate Israel’s war crimes and human rights violations in Gaza. They are working to get the court to issue an arrest warrant for Netanyahu. Fidan underscored that Turkiye has been providing all types of continuous support to the Palestinians, including Hamas and that his government is ready “to offer positive and constructive contributions to the negotiations.” Fidan added: “Turkiye is hoping the ICJ will act according to the principle that international law must be applied equally to all without exceptions.” Turkish parliamentary officials confirmed to the media that a formal application draft for this process is currently in process. At issue is the fact that Israel doesn’t recognize The Hague’s jurisdiction since it’s not a member of the court. If a warrant is issued, it would be binding in over 120 countries that are members of the ICC, that includes a majority of European countries also Japan, Australia which would make it impossible for Netanyahu to travel as he would risk detention.
