Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye, Öncü Keçeli, announced that Ankara has evacuated 1359 Turkish and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) citizens and their relatives from Gaza to date, with ongoing efforts for 1097 individuals.
Keçeli, evaluating the agenda at a press conference held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, addressed the challenges of reaching people in war conditions and emphasized that Türkiye has done its best in this regard.
“Currently, we are following up on the evacuation processes for 1097 individuals; not all of them are our citizens,” Keçeli stated, emphasizing that the evacuation processes are coordinated in collaboration with local authorities.
Due to extraordinary conditions in Gaza, the exact number of Turkish citizens cannot be known
Responding to a question about the number of Turkish citizens in Gaza, Keçeli explained that due to the extraordinary conditions in Gaza, the exact number is not known. He mentioned that Turkish citizens wanting to be evacuated, along with their immediate relatives, apply to Türkiye’s Consulate General in Jerusalem, which handles relations with the Palestinian side, and the process is coordinated with local authorities.
Keçeli noted that some citizens who wanted to be evacuated might have passed away, some might have left Gaza on their own or changed their minds about leaving, attributing the challenges to the lack of diplomatic presence in Gaza. He stated, “Unfortunately, we do not have a diplomatic presence there (in Gaza). Since the communication infrastructure has been completely destroyed by Israel, our access to these people has decreased significantly.”
Keçeli explained that officials from the Turkish Embassy in Cairo regularly visit El-Arish, and they have regular meetings with them. Sometimes, individuals granted permission for evacuation and those in contact may not be able to reach the border crossing, according to Keçeli.
Highlighting the need for these individuals to prove their identities, Keçeli mentioned that their identification or passports might have been lost or damaged. He emphasized that Israel and Egypt authorities need to confirm this, and Türkiye is doing its best in this regard.
Keçeli also mentioned that many Turkish citizens’ relatives have arrived in Türkiye, and relevant departments are taking care of these individuals.