Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that his country is still evaluating how to potentially deploy its security forces to an international stabilization force being planned in Gaza, Reuters reported.
Speaking at a press conference after the G20 summit in South Africa, Erdogan said that a decision would be made after discussions.
NATO member Turkey played a key role in negotiating the Gaza ceasefire and was among the signatories of the accord signed in Egypt. Ankara has pledged to monitor its implementation and expressed interest in joining the stabilization force.
However, Israel has firmly rejected any Turkish involvement in post-war Gaza despite Turkey's continuing push to be a part of the international force in Gaza.
Israel’s stance is due to the fact that Erdogan has increased his verbal attacks on Israel since the start of the war in Gaza on October 7, 2023.
Earlier this month, Turkey issued arrest warrants for 37 Israeli officials on charges of genocide, in connection with Israel’s military operations in the Gaza Strip.
The warrants targeted, among others, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, and Israeli Naval Forces Commander David Saar Salama.
During Sunday’s press conference, Erdogan repeated his claim that the attacks in Gaza amounted to “genocide” and that Netanyahu was responsible.