In an effort to reduce Turkey’s involvement in Gaza, Israel asked the Trump administration to exclude President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from the Board of Peace (BoP) that the president is establishing, according to two officials familiar with the matter.
The issue was raised during talks held in recent weeks between senior Israeli officials and senior Trump administration officials, which focused on the continued implementation of the Trump plan for Gaza.
Israel has vetoed the presence of Turkish troops in Gaza as part of the International Stabilization Force that is to be deployed in the next phase of the Trump plan.
The United States president was asked about the issue on Monday at the start of his meeting with Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago and said, “I think it’s a good thing” (referring to the presence of Turkish troops in Gaza), adding, “Turkey has been great.” The president also said, “I know Erdogan very well, and, as you all know, he’s a good friend of mine. I believe him, and I respect him. So does Netanyahu.”
In recent weeks, Israeli officials have also worked to limit Turkey’s involvement in the reconstruction of Gaza as much as possible. “In Israel, there is concern that Turkish involvement in humanitarian affairs and reconstruction efforts would give Ankara a significant foothold in controlling the Strip,” a source familiar with the talks told The Jerusalem Post.
Next month, Trump is expected to announce the composition of the Board of Peace, as well as the makeup of a technocratic government made up of Palestinians approved by Israel after a vetting process from a submitted list.
Some officials in the administration believe Erdogan should be part of the peace council, in part because Turkey – alongside Egypt and Qatar – is a guarantor of the agreement signed with Hamas. For now, several sources told the Post that a final decision on the composition of the Board of Peace has not yet been made.
Turkey, Israel disagree on Somaliland sovereignty
On Tuesday, a few days after Israel recognized Somaliland as an independent state, Erdogan hosted Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
At the start of the meeting, Erdogan said Israel’s decision to formally recognize Somaliland was unacceptable, accusing Israel of attempting to destabilize the Horn of Africa.
“Preserving the unity and territorial integrity of Somalia under all circumstances is of special importance to us. Israel’s decision to recognize Somaliland is illegitimate and unacceptable,” Erdogan said.
Erdogan also said that Turkey plans to begin offshore energy drilling off the coast of Somalia in 2026 under a bilateral agreement, noting that Ankara is adding two new drilling vessels to its fleet. He added that Turkey plans to establish a spaceport in Somalia as part of bilateral agreements, though he provided no further details.