Gaza should be Türkiye’s autonomous region, says former Turkish PM Davutoglu

Ahmet Davutoglu, the chairman of the Future Party (Gelecek Partisi), made a suggestion regarding U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial Gaza occupation plan on Wednesday. Davutoglu, recalling the ties from the Ottoman Empire, stated that Gaza should be Türkiye’s autonomous region following a referendum.

Davutoglu made statements at the group meeting of the New Path Group, consisting of the Felicity Party, the DEVA Party, and the Future Party.

‘Do they think we won’t stand by Gazans’

In response to Trump’s Gaza occupation plan, Davutoglu said that Gazans should hold a referendum and join Türkiye.

“Now, as a Turk from the Ottoman subjects, I say this: the last legitimate state of the Gazans was the Ottoman Empire.”

“Do they think that we won’t stand by the Gazans, who have never had legitimate citizenship outside the Ottoman Empire and fought alongside our grandfathers, just because the U.S. comes to seize Gaza?”

“Let the Gazans hold a referendum and, until the Palestinian state is established, let them be connected to Türkiye as an autonomous region,” the Turkish lawmaker maintained.

What is happening in Gaza?

Trump has repeatedly called for taking over Gaza and resettling Palestinians in neighboring countries, including Egypt and Jordan, an idea widely rejected by Palestinian and Arab leaders.

His proposal comes amid a cease-fire and prisoner swap agreement that took hold in Gaza on Jan. 19, pausing Israel’s genocidal war, which has killed more than 48,200 people since Oct. 7, 2023, and left the enclave in ruins.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its war on the enclave.

Arab, Islamic nations intensify support for Gaza

Arab and Muslim nations have intensified contact with the Gaza situation amid US President Donald Trump’s plan to “take over” the besieged enclave and forcibly remove Palestinians.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani spoke to Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim over the phone late Tuesday to discuss the latest situation in Gaza.

The two leaders discussed the latest situation in Gaza, especially Israel’s deliberate violation of ceasefire terms to “undermine” the deal brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the US, Anwar said Wednesday on X.

“I reiterated Malaysia’s continuous commitment to steadfastly support every initiative, including providing humanitarian aid while aiming to end the Israeli occupation and illegal settlement in Gaza,” Anwar told Al Thani, also the Gulf nation’s foreign minister.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and his UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan also held a phone call on Wednesday, sharing concerns about Trump’s plan.

“The two leaders discussed the grave humanitarian situation in Gaza and expressed concerns at the proposal to displace or relocate the Palestinian people from their ancestral homeland,” said the Pakistan Foreign Ministry in a statement.

Dar reiterated Pakistan’s “unflinching” support for the rights of the Palestinian people and the two sides agreed to maintain close contact to achieve a just, comprehensive, and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue, the statement added.

On Tuesday, Egypt said a preliminary agreement had been reached to hold an emergency ministerial meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to reject the relocation of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty has also held talks with his counterparts from OIC member states, including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iran, and Jordan, to address the Palestinian issue.