What does Turkey mean with a joint military force to Palestine?

Some Turkish media covered the statements of the Turkish Foreign Minister, as if he proposed the establishment of a joint military force by Islamic countries and a military confrontation with Israel, similar to Turkey’s proposed solution at the summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

According to Turkish news agencies, Turkey has declared its readiness to cooperate and play an active role if the Islamic countries take a joint decision to deal with Israel’s crimes, especially in the Gaza.

The Israeli war crimes in Jerusalem and Gaza attracted the attention of all the international media.

Meanwhile, there are many news and reports about Palestine in the Turkish media.

Perhaps because a long time ago, many journalists from TRT and the official Anatolia News Agency had offices and facilities in Gaza.

Of course, there is another reason which is that in the past few decades, the political current called “The National Perspective” and the school of thought of the late Najmuddin Erbakan and later the Justice and Development Party had close ties with Hamas and the political currents of the Brotherhood in the Middle East, and they had close ties.

Now all of the Turkish political and government officials, as well as military and media experts, have proposals to support Palestine to stand in the face of the recent Israeli attacks.

Some of the solutions and proposals put forward in Turkey to deal with Israeli crimes are based on the will and cooperation of the Islamic world, and other solutions are based on Turkey’s own actions.

Whereas last year, the Turkish diplomatic apparatus asked Ufuk Ulutas to gradually pack his bags and go to Israel as a new ambassador.

But now, the Turkish BBC and the Hurriyet daily have quoted an Israeli diplomat as saying that all talks between Turkey and Israel have been suspended since the start of the new round of attacks.

Erdogan’s telephone diplomacy

In recent days, the media affiliated with the AKP Research Center has published numerous articles and reports on the telephone diplomacy of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the leader of the Justice and Development Party.

At the heart of this was Erdogan highlighting the fact that he is gathering the leaders of Islamic countries to defend the Palestinian people.

Meanwhile, some media used exaggerated expressions.

For example, Yeni Akit claimed that Erdogan is the only savior of the Palestinian people and that the Palestinians expect him only to act and save.

Other media outlets also claimed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s move to hold an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) foreign ministers is primarily due to Ankara’s continuous follow-up.

Is there a joint military force on the way?

Some Turkish media also covered the statements of the Turkish Foreign Minister, as if he had proposed the establishment of a joint military force by the Islamic countries and a military confrontation with Israel as a solution proposed by Turkey at the meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

“The time has come to show our solidarity and determination for Palestine,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in an emergency meeting of the OIC foreign ministers.

The Islamic nation expects us, the Member States, to fulfill our leadership duties.

Turkey is ready to take any necessary action.

“We are witnessing Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the usurpation of Palestinian lands, and if the current situation continues, the two-state solution will practically disappear,” he added.

“It is not enough to issue a statement,” Cavusoglu said, adding that the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Palestine failed again due to American opposition.

We need to take more action. The international community and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation have a heavy responsibility to protect the lives of Palestinian civilians.

“Based on the United Nations General Assembly resolutions agreed in 2018, we can use international mechanisms to demand that the volunteer countries cover the costs of this military force that protects the lives of civilians.”

In fact, what Cavusoglu suggested was not the formation of a military force to confront the Israeli army, but an attempt to use the legal and international mechanism of the UN peacekeeping force.

But some Turkish media preferred to translate and summarize Cavusoglu’s proposal in such an atmosphere: “Instead of issuing a statement, let us gather a common force.”

Some journalists also stated that the formation of a joint peacekeeping force centered around the member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, even if this was possible, it would take a long time.

But the important thing is that Turkey wants to show through this work, that is, by declaring its readiness:

• First, it is ready to confront Israel.
• Secondly, Turkey does not want to be alone in this way, and it will only go to the field on the condition that all other Islamic countries accompany it.

Suggested solutions

Admiral Cahit Yaçi is a prominent and well-known naval officer in the Turkish Navy and one of the most knowledgeable of the International Law of the Sea and the complex principles of delineating coastal and maritime boundaries and continental lands.

He is the originator of the “Blue Nation” theory (Mavi Vatan) and Admiral Yaçi is said to have led the Erdogan government to conclude that in the eastern Mediterranean, in order, by presenting the thesis and proposal of the blue homeland.

To gain strength in this maritime geography to sign the Maritime Security Agreement with the Libyan Government of National Accord.

Although Yaçi later became involved in an argument with the government and resigned from the army, he is still widely regarded in the Turkish media as an expert on maritime law, and his views are taken into account.

In an interview with the Turkish daily Yeni Safak, Admiral Yaçi called for repeating the experience and model of the agreement with Libya in the case of Palestine.

According to Yaçi, part of the long Turkish coast with Palestine, according to the international principles of demarcating the coast, has maritime borders, and if the Erdogan government signs an agreement with the Palestinian Authority, it may put Israel in a difficult position.

“You know that the TRNC is not a member of the United Nations,” said the creator of the Blue Nation theory.

“Nevertheless, the text of our maritime agreement with the Turkish Cypriots is correct, legal and binding, and if we reach such an agreement with Palestine, then Israel will be bound.”

Popular Dimensions of Supporting Palestine in Turkey

One of the important issues related to the position of the Turkish government and people towards the Palestinian issue is that for the conservative spectrum of the Turkish people, support for the oppressed Palestinian people has always been a religious, moral and humanitarian priority, regardless of the government’s desire.

In recent days, in addition to the launch of many currents and popular movements in social networks, in many provinces of Turkey, there are also activities of popular associations, groups and non-governmental organizations to organize rallies protesting the crimes of Israel.

At the same time, the left-wing, Kemalist and Social-Democratic parties, movements, and social institutions, instead of considering the issue of support for Palestine only in the context of an issue related to Muslims, looked at its human rights dimensions, and they did so.