Turkish, French presidents meet at G20 summit, discuss ceasefire in Gaza, Ukraine

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the G20 summit in South Africa and discussed bilateral cooperation, as well as regional and global issues.

Erdoğan emphasised the importance of maintaining the ceasefire in Gaza and ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid to the region, stating that a sustainable peace can only be achieved through the establishment of a two-state solution. He stressed that Ankara is actively working toward this goal, Caliber.Az reports per Turkish media outlets.

The Turkish president also highlighted the need to mobilise all available diplomatic resources to secure a just and lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia.

“Türkiye will continue its efforts to bring the conflicting parties to the negotiating table,” Erdoğan said.

The Israel-Hamas war, triggered by Hamas's October 7, 2023, attacks (killing ~1,200 Israelis), escalated into a devastating Israeli offensive, resulting in over 69,546 Palestinian deaths (including 20,179 children) by November 20, 2025, per Gaza's Ministry of Health. Previous ceasefires (late 2023, early 2025) collapsed, but the current phase began with Phase One of Trump's 20-point "Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict," agreed on October 8, 2025, and effective October 10. This initial stage focused on hostage/prisoner exchanges, partial Israeli withdrawal, and aid increases, mediated by the U.S., Qatar, Egypt, and Türkiye.

The ceasefire remains precarious, with UN agencies reporting ongoing Israeli airstrikes and attacks killing 318 Palestinians (including 67 children) and wounding 788 since October 10. The IDF claims 18 violations by Palestinian groups (e.g., Hamas crossings of the "Yellow Line" demarcation), including internal killings of alleged collaborators.

On November 20, a leaked 28-point U.S. plan—drafted by envoy Steve Witkoff with Russian input but limited Ukrainian consultation—demands Ukraine cede Donetsk/Luhansk (full), recognise Crimea as Russian, cap military at 100,000 troops, forgo NATO, and accept no Western peacekeepers. Putin called it a "foundation" on November 22, while Zelenskyy pledged "constructive" engagement but vowed alternatives to protect sovereignty.

By Khagan Isayev