Ankara/Sharm el-Sheikh, October 15, 2025 – In a speech that underscored Turkey's pivotal role in Middle East diplomacy, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared on Tuesday that the quadripartite declaration signed at the Sharm el-Sheikh summit the previous day could herald a "new milestone" on the road to enduring peace in Gaza and the broader region. Addressing a gathering of his Justice and Development (AK) Party in Ankara, Erdogan emphasized collaborative efforts with the United States and Gulf states to spearhead Gaza's reconstruction, signaling a cautious optimism amid the fragile truce that has silenced the guns after more than two years of devastating conflict.
Erdogan's remarks, delivered to an audience of party loyalists and dignitaries, came just 48 hours after a high-stakes summit in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, where U.S. President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi convened over 20 world leaders to formalize the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. The event, dubbed the "Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit," marked the culmination of intense, indirect negotiations brokered primarily by the U.S., Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey. Notably absent were representatives from Israel and Hamas, underscoring the mediators' focus on international guarantees rather than direct confrontation.
The summit's centerpiece was the signing of the "Trump Declaration for Enduring Peace and Prosperity," a 20-point framework document inked by Trump, Sisi, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, and Erdogan himself. This quadripartite pact outlines the first phase of a multi-stage plan to demilitarize Gaza, facilitate massive humanitarian aid inflows, and establish a transitional security force comprising Palestinian and Arab troops. Trump, fresh from a rousing address to Israel's Knesset where he declared the war "won with weapons" but now ripe for peace, hailed the agreement as a "tremendous day for the Middle East" and a "new beautiful day" for rebuilding. In his opening speech at the summit, the U.S. president quipped about America's prowess in construction—"We know how to build better than anybody in the world"—while urging leaders to set aside "old feuds" for a shared future of prosperity.
The ceremony unfolded against a backdrop of emotional breakthroughs on the ground. Earlier on Monday, October 13, Hamas fulfilled its initial commitment under the ceasefire by releasing all 20 remaining living Israeli hostages held in Gaza since the October 7, 2023, attacks that ignited the war. The captives, including soldiers, civilians, and dual nationals, were handed over in two batches to International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) representatives at designated points in central and southern Gaza. Medical teams conducted preliminary health checks before their transfer to Israel via Egypt's Rafah crossing.
Heart-wrenching scenes of reunion dominated Israeli airwaves as helicopters ferried the freed hostages to hospitals and military bases. In Tel Aviv's Hostages Square, where vigils had persisted for 738 days, thousands erupted in cheers as news broke. Families like that of 22-year-old soldier Matan Zanguaker, who emerged gaunt but defiant after enduring underground captivity, spoke of unyielding hope. "We never stopped believing," his mother, Einav, told reporters at Re'im base, where many hostages were first reunited with loved ones. Among the released were American-Israeli dual citizen Edan Alexander, 21, whose 584 days in Hamas hands had drawn personal interventions from Trump, and festival-goer Yosef-Chaim Ohana, 25, who had appeared in a Hamas propaganda video months earlier.
In exchange, Israel began freeing approximately 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, including 250 serving life sentences for terrorism-related convictions. Buses carrying the releases—many without charges, held under administrative detention—rolled into Ramallah and Gaza, greeted by jubilant crowds chanting "Allahu Akbar." In Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, residents scaled vehicles to embrace returning kin, a poignant counterpoint to the rubble-strewn streets. Hamas decried the conditions in Israeli jails as "harshest forms of sadism and fascism," vowing the swap as a step toward broader justice.
Hamas also committed to returning the remains of 28 deceased hostages, with four coffins already transferred for forensic identification in Israel. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the bodies' arrival at a Tel Aviv institute for autopsies, a somber reminder of the 75 hostages believed killed during the initial assault or in captivity. This phase alone brings the total hostages returned alive to 168 since the war's onset, per Israeli tallies, closing a dark chapter that began with Hamas's cross-border rampage killing 1,200 and abducting 251.
The ceasefire's genesis traces to Trump's ambitious 20-point peace proposal unveiled in early October, a blueprint shaped through backchannel talks involving his son-in-law Jared Kushner and envoy Steve Witkoff. Drawing on Abraham Accords momentum, the plan envisions Gaza's "demilitarization," a reformed Palestinian Authority role contingent on governance overhauls, and Arab-led reconstruction funded by Gulf petrodollars. Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey—longtime Hamas hosts—emerged as indispensable mediators, with Ankara's influence particularly amplified. Erdogan, who has branded Israel's campaign a "genocide," leveraged Turkey's humanitarian aid pipeline (over 350 trucks in recent weeks) to nudge Hamas toward acceptance.
Yet, the path was fraught. Netanyahu's last-minute snub—officially due to a Jewish holiday, though whispers point to Erdogan's veto threat over ICC warrants against the Israeli leader—highlighted simmering tensions. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani had warned of boycotting if Netanyahu appeared, citing regional sensitivities. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas attended, advocating for a two-state solution, but Israel's rejection of any postwar PA governance in Gaza looms large.
The summit's diverse attendee list reflected global stakes: Jordan's King Abdullah II, UAE's Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Bahrain's King Hamad, Kuwait's Sheikh Ahmad Al Abdullah Al Sabah, and Iraq's al-Sudani represented Arab voices pushing for normalization incentives. From Europe, EU Council President António Costa, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni added Western heft, reaffirming commitments to unrestricted aid and a two-state horizon. Sisi framed Trump's vision as the "last chance" for regional peace, while Emir Tamim pledged Qatar's mediation clout to enforce compliance.
Beyond the pageantry, the declaration commits signatories to a "task force" for oversight, with Turkey angling for boots-on-the-ground involvement in stabilization. Reconstruction estimates from the World Bank and Egypt peg needs at $53 billion, covering homes, hospitals, and schools obliterated in Israel's response, which Gaza health officials tally at over 67,869 deaths. Erdogan, in Ankara, stressed joint U.S.-Gulf-Turkish decision-making on these funds, warning Israel's "very bad" ceasefire history could derail progress. "This is no final solution to the Palestinian question," he cautioned, insisting on a sovereign state.
Global reactions poured in with measured hope. French President Macron lauded the "progress toward comprehensive peace," while the EU reiterated its June 2025 call for unconditional aid. In Gaza, residents like those in Khan Yunis began tentative returns north, navigating aid convoys surging under UN auspices. Hamas deployed police to maintain order, a bid to reclaim authority in the power vacuum.
Critics, however, urge vigilance. Human rights groups decry the prisoner swap's imbalance—1,900 Palestinians for 20 Israelis—while Hamas hardliners grumble over demilitarization clauses. Israeli hawks, echoing Netanyahu's Knesset allies, demand ironclad Hamas disarmament. Trump's plan leaves thornier phases—Gaza's governance, Hamas's fate—for later,ですので potentially at a November reconstruction conference in Cairo.
As Erdogan wrapped his address, invoking Palestinian resilience, the weight of history hung heavy. "Gaza has shown military force fails; resistance endures," he said, eyes fixed on a sovereign horizon. For now, the bombs are still, hostages home, and leaders pledged. Whether Sharm el-Sheikh's ink holds against old animosities remains the region's fragile bet.
