ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has made it clear that he would not accept the presence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a high-level summit aimed at supporting a ceasefire in Gaza. A senior official revealed on Tuesday that Ankara had taken steps to prevent Netanyahu's attendance at the summit held on Monday in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
The statements made by Omer Celik, spokesman for Erdogan’s ruling party, are the first public acknowledgment that Turkey sought to block Netanyahu from participating in the summit. Erdogan, a vocal critic of Israel's military actions in Gaza, has maintained ties with Hamas and was one of the signatories of a four-party declaration that included U.S. President Donald Trump and the leaders of Egypt and Qatar.
While Netanyahu initially accepted a surprise invitation to join the summit, his office later announced that he would not attend due to a Jewish holiday. On the same day, an unnamed Turkish government official told The Associated Press that Erdogan proactively launched diplomatic efforts to ensure Netanyahu would not attend. This initiative reportedly gained support from several other countries, which ultimately led to Netanyahu's withdrawal from the summit.
"Our president’s stance is absolutely clear," Celik told journalists. "He would never accept being in the same photo frame as Netanyahu. He would not accept being at the same summit. He wouldn't accept sitting at the same table." He added that Turkey prepares for multiple scenarios ahead of high-level meetings and that Netanyahu’s participation was not originally planned. However, Celik stated that they had developed a response strategy in advance in case the situation arose.
Additionally, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani warned U.S. and Egyptian officials that he would withdraw from the summit if Netanyahu attended. Erdogan has not publicly spoken about Turkey’s role in preventing Netanyahu's participation at the summit.
In a speech on Tuesday, Erdogan praised the declaration signed in Egypt as a significant step toward stopping what he labeled as "genocide" in Gaza—an allegation that Israel has strongly denied. Erdogan mentioned that despite the progress, the deep scars from the two years of intense suffering in Gaza might never fully heal, and the reconstruction process would be lengthy. "The devastation caused by the genocide may never be fully repaired," he stated, emphasizing that rebuilding Gaza will likely take many years.
On Monday, reports indicated that Erdogan’s plane had to abort its landing at Sharm el-Sheikh due to runway issues. The Hurriyet newspaper, closely aligned with the government, dismissed claims that the presidential aircraft had circled above the Red Sea as Erdogan prepared to boycott the meeting.
