Erdogan rejects Trump’s Gaza proposal: Nothing worth discussing

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday blasted US President Donald Trump’s plan for the Gaza Strip, stating that no one has the authority to expel Gazans from their homeland, while claiming Trump’s plan was influenced by Israel.

“No one has the power to remove the people of Gaza from their eternal homeland that has been around for thousands of years,” Erdogan stated during a late-night press conference at Istanbul airport before departing for Malaysia, as quoted by AFP.

He reiterated Turkey’s stance on Palestinian Arab sovereignty, emphasizing, “Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem belong to the Palestinians.”

“The proposals on Gaza put forward by the new US administration under pressure from the Zionist leadership have nothing worth discussing from our point of view,” remarked Erdogan.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also rejected the idea of displacing Palestinians from Gaza during an interview with Palestinian Arab television earlier that day.

“The displacement of Palestinians is unacceptable,” he said, as quoted by Turkey’s state news agency Anadolu, calling Trump’s proposal historically uninformed.

Trump unveiled his plan this past Tuesday in a joint press conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, suggesting that the US would take over Gaza and relocate its residents to neighboring countries while the Strip is rehabilitated.

While Arab countries have criticized the plan, Netanyahu praised Trump’s plan during an interview with Fox News on Wednesday and said, “This is the first good idea that I’ve heard. It’s a remarkable idea. And I think it should be really examined, pursued and done, because I think it will create a different future for everyone.”

On Sunday, Trump told reporters that he remains committed to buying and owning Gaza, but added he could give sections of the Strip to other states in the Middle East to help in the rebuilding effort.

Speaking aboard Air Force One, the President said that he will “turn Gaza into a prime location for future development.”

Trump also said that he will be meeting soon with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, adding he expects both will agree to take in Gazan refugees after speaking to him.