Erdogan Rejects U.S. Proposal on Gaza, Calls Displacement of Palestinians Impossible

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan firmly dismissed the possibility of Gazans being forcibly removed from their homeland, as the Muslim world strongly opposed U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to relocate Palestinians and assert control over the Gaza Strip after the war between Israel and Hamas. Speaking at a late-night press conference at Istanbul Airport before departing for Malaysia, Erdogan criticized the U.S. administration’s approach, attributing it to “Zionist lobby” pressure. “I want to make this crystal clear: the new American administration’s proposals regarding Gaza, shaped under the influence of the Zionist lobby, are not even worth considering or discussing from our point of view,” he stated. It was unclear whether Erdogan was referring to Israel itself or pro-Israel groups in the U.S. “These ideas are pure nonsense,” he continued. “No power on earth can remove the people of Gaza from their homeland, which has existed for thousands of years. Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem belong to the Palestinians.”

Turkey Condemns Displacement Plans

On the same day, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also voiced strong opposition, declaring that the forced displacement of Palestinians was “unacceptable.” Speaking to Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency, Fidan dismissed Trump’s plan as historically ignorant. Throughout the war in Gaza, Turkey has remained one of Israel’s most outspoken critics. In May, Erdogan severed all trade relations with Israel, repeatedly drawing comparisons between Israel’s actions and the Holocaust. He also issued statements that some interpreted as a direct threat toward Israel.

Global Backlash Against Trump’s Proposal

A United Nations report last year indicated that nearly two-thirds of Gaza’s infrastructure had been damaged or destroyed in the war, which began when thousands of Hamas-led militants launched a large-scale attack on southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Trump’s proposal, which envisions expelling more than two million Palestinians from Gaza and transforming the territory into a luxurious tourist hub dubbed the “Riviera of the Middle East,” has sparked international outrage, particularly among Muslim and Arab nations. The announcement, made during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, reportedly caught Netanyahu off guard.