Ankara has stepped up contacts with Israel in order to try to achieve a cease-fire between Hamas and Israel. "Turkey is determined to keep channels open with all parties, directly and indirectly, if it can protect every single brother from Gaza … There are views that have been delivered from Israel to us," Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu told reporters yesterday before departing for Cairo. He crossed from the Egyptian capital into Gaza with a delegation of foreign ministers from a number of Arab countries, seeking to show support for the Palestinians. In Gaza, Davutoğlu said Turkey’s solidarity with Gaza would continue under all circumstances. He also called on the international community to take action. Davutoğlu also said Israel must remove its embargo on Gaza. A Turkish Foreign Ministry official confirmed that contact had been made with the Israeli authorities. Turkey has abstained from talks with Israel since 2011, since the killing of nine Turks by Israeli soldiers on board the Mavi Marmara ship.
Undersecretary of Turkey’s Intelligence Organization (MİT) Hakan Fidan and deputy chairman of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) Ömer Çelik are conducting contacts with relevant parties for a truce. "Our aim is to provide a sustainable truce in Gaza," Davutoğlu said, adding that they were working on the technicalities of truce.
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