US welcomes Türkiye's role in efforts to reach Gaza cease-fire: Envoy

By Gamze Turkoglu, Can Efesoy and Muhammet Tarhan

US Ambassador to Türkiye Jeff Flake said Wednesday that Washington welcomes Ankara’s role in efforts to reach a cease-fire deal in Gaza.

"We welcome Türkiye's role specifically. We want an enduring peace afterwards. It's going to be a two-state solution,” Flake told reporters at the US Embassy in the capital.

Stressing that they "encourage Israel in every discussion to limit civilian casualties as they respond to Hamas’s attacks," he noted that they are working with Türkiye and other countries to achieve a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.

"Türkiye can talk to groups that we simply can't," he noted.

Flake also welcomed the visit to Türkiye by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who is also due address the Turkish parliament on Thursday.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza since an attack last October by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.

Nearly 40,000 people have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 92,000 others injured, according to local health authorities.

Expressing hope for de-escalation, Flake said the US is calling on everyone who has relations with Iran to make efforts to reduce tensions. He also noted that Ankara is more experienced in relations with Tehran because it is a neighbor.

- US military buildup in region

Flake said that when the US sees an escalation in a region that could affect its allies and partners, it sends military assets there and often manages to de-escalate tensions.

He added that there have been some military build-ups in Greece in support of Ukraine and denied allegations that the US is favoring Greece over Türkiye and building up to attack Türkiye.

- Türkiye-led prisoner swap operation

Regarding a recent prisoner swap operation led by Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT), Flake said: "This is a very complex swap, and Türkiye has a very professional bureaucracy," stressing Türkiye's "extremely helpful" role in terms of logistics.

On Aug. 1, the MIT led a successful prisoner exchange involving seven countries in "one of the most extensive" swap operations in recent years.

A total of 26 individuals from prisons in the US, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Russia and Belarus were exchanged and transported to Ankara.

- Türkiye-US relations

Noting that the 26th NATO Summit will be held in Türkiye, Flake said "Türkiye is an indispensable valued member of NATO."

He highlighted that the mutual trade volume exceeded $30 billion and they aim to increase it to $100 billion in the coming years.

Flake underlined that no matter who comes to power in January 2025 after the US presidential election in November, there will be no major swings in US-Türkiye relations.

- Talks between Somalia, Ethiopia under Türkiye's mediation

On the Ankara Process between Somalia and Ethiopia under Türkiye's mediation, Flake said: "With regard to Somalia, we see Türkiye is involved there, and it's very positive."

He said this issue came up during a phone call Monday between Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The ambassador also pointed out that Türkiye's involvement in Africa is different from that of other countries with a colonial past.

- Congressional approvals for F-16 fighter jets

On the sale of F-16 fighter jets and F-35 issues between Ankara and Washington, Flake confirmed that the necessary Congressional approvals for the F-16 sale have been received.

On the F-35 issue, he said the "decision whether Türkiye ends up back in the F-35 consortium is very much a decision that not just the US makes, but the other consortium members (as well)."

On Jan. 26, the US State Department approved the $23 billion sale of F-16 aircraft and modernization kits to Türkiye after getting the greenlight for Sweden’s NATO membership from Türkiye – itself a NATO member for over 70 years.

Türkiye in October 2021 requested from the US 40 new F-16 Block 70 aircraft as well as 79 modernization kits to upgrade its remaining F-16s to Block 70 level.

Türkiye also received a draft offer and letter of acceptance from the US on the procurement of the new jets in February, according to the Turkish National Defense Ministry.

Türkiye was part of the F-35 program before its participation was suspended over a dispute over Ankara buying Russia’s S-400 air defense system after its efforts to buy US Patriot missiles were rebuffed.

Flake added that Türkiye's return to the F-35 consortium requires the resolution of the S-400 issue.

- Russia-Ukraine war

Recalling Türkiye's invoking of the Montreux Convention when the Russia-Ukraine war erupted, Flake underscored that this "has been a significant benefit to Ukraine and their defense" by denying Russia "the ability to resupply and to put additional assets in the Black Sea."

The 1936 Montreux Convention regulates the passage of ships through the Turkish Straits. The convention gives Türkiye the authority to restrict the passage of naval vessels through the Turkish Straits during times of war.

Regarding a statement by an official from the US Treasury Department that there will be consequences if Ankara continues to trade with Moscow, notably in materials such as microchips, Flake said they understand Türkiye's stance on not applying the unilateral sanctions of the US and its European allies against Russia.

He added, however, that they want to ensure that the parts that can be used by Russia's “war machine” do not increase.

*Writing by Serdar Dincel in Istanbul