FM: Israel ties hinge on Palestinian state with 1967 borders

ANKARA

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said normalization with Israel would depend on concrete steps toward a two-state solution, including recognition of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders.

In an interview with Japan’s Nikkei Asia, Fidan responded to U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal that more regional countries join the Abraham Accords, saying Türkiye’s position remained tied to ending the Gaza war and achieving a lasting settlement of the Palestinian issue.

“If Israel recognizes a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, then Israel could also become part of this mechanism,” Fidan said, referring to a potential regional cooperation and security framework involving Türkiye, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Gulf countries. He added that Iran could also join under the right conditions.

Fidan argued that resolving the Palestinian issue would strengthen Israel’s security and allow regional countries to support it more effectively. He said lasting stability in the Middle East required all countries to respect one another’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and security.

The Turkish top diplomat also said relations between Ankara and Tel Aviv could return to normal if Israel ended its military operations against Palestinians and allowed humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. He noted that bilateral trade had reached roughly $10 billion before the Gaza war.

Fidan accused Israel of pursuing territorial expansion rather than security, pointing to developments in Gaza, the West Bank, Syria and Lebanon. He also criticized what he described as efforts by some Israeli politicians to portray Türkiye as a future threat, saying Israeli domestic politics often relied on the existence of an external enemy.

Türkiye and Israel have had sharply strained relations since the outbreak of the war with Hamas. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has frequently accused Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of committing “genocide” in the enclave.

Since the conflict erupted in October 2023, Türkiye has taken steps to cut trade with Israel. Last April, Ankara banned exports of more than 1,000 products to Israel and later imposed a full suspension of exports, imports and transit trade across all categories.