Turkey's ties with Hamas, once a stumbling block for Washington, have become a geopolitical asset, Reuters reports.
By persuading Hamas to accept Donald Trump's Gaza deal, Ankara has reasserted itself on the Middle East chessboard, to the dismay of Israel and its Arab rivals.
Initially resisting the US president's ultimatum - release Israeli hostages or face further devastation - Hamas leaders They only backed down when Turkey, a country they consider a political patron, urged them to agree to the American plan.
Two regional sources and two Hamas officials said Ankara's message was clear: It's time to accept.
"This gentleman from a place called Turkey is one of the most powerful in the world," Trump said last week, referring to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan after the Palestinian militant group agreed to the ceasefire and hostage release plan.
"He's a trusted ally. He is always there for me when I need him."
Erdogan's signature on the Gaza document has given a boost to Turkey's quest for a central role in the Middle East - a status that Erdogan has increasingly sought to reclaim, often citing Ottoman-era ties and leadership.
Now, after the deal, Turkey is looking to reap the dividends, including on bilateral issues with the United States, the sources said.
Sinan Ulgen, director of the Istanbul-based think tank EDAM and a senior fellow at Carnegie Europe, said Ankara's success in getting Hamas to accept the Trump's Gaza deal has given it new diplomatic leverage at home and abroad.
Turkey is likely to use its renewed goodwill in Washington to push for progress on the stalled issue of the sale of F-35 fighter jets, easing of U.S. sanctions and U.S. assistance to Turkey's security goals in neighboring Syria, he said.
"If Trump's flattering statements translate into lasting goodwill, Ankara could use this momentum to resolve some of its long-standing differences," Ulgen predicted.
Trump-Erdogan meeting marks renewal of ties
According to officials, the diplomatic realignment between Ankara and Washington began during Erdogan's visit to the White House in September, his first in six years.
The meeting addressed unresolved points of contention, such as Turkey's push to cancel U.S. sanctions imposed in 2020 over the purchase of Russian S-400 missile systems, a move that angered Washington and led to Ankara being removed from the F-35 program.
Syria was another key topic. Turkey wants to pressure the U.S.-backed Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to merge with the Syrian army. Ankara sees the SDF as a threat due to its ties to the PKK, which Turkey considers a terrorist group.
That push appears to be gaining traction. SDF commander Mazloum Abdi confirmed a mechanism for merging with the Syrian army, an outcome that Turkey sees as a strategic victory.
The Gaza deal comes after other steps to boost Turkey’s prestige. Trump praised Erdogan for hosting talks between Russia and Ukraine earlier this year, and Ankara's influence has grown since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria in 2024, where Turkey has supported opposition forces.
Turkey's ambition to regain a dominant role in the Middle East reminds some skeptics of the legacy of the Ottoman Empire, which once ruled much of the region. Its collapse a century ago left modern Turkey inward-looking as it built a secular republic and somewhat isolated from regional diplomacy.
For years, Ankara has been absent from high-level efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a major source of regional instability. Turkey’s support for Islamist movements—including political and diplomatic support for Hamas, whose leaders it has hosted—has strained relations with Israel and several Arab states, and Erdogan’s perceived departure from NATO norms has further distanced it from peacemaking. But to break the deadlock in Gaza ceasefire talks, Trump has reached out to Erdogan, banking on the Turkish leader’s influence over Hamas. Turkish officials, led by intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, have assured Hamas that the ceasefire has regional and American support, including Trump’s personal guarantee.
By bringing in Erdogan, Trump has given Ankara the role it craves as the dominant regional Sunni power. The move has alarmed Israel and its Arab rivals, such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which have long been wary of Erdogan's Islamist ambitions, two diplomats said.
"Erdogan is a master at expanding his influence, seizing opportunities, exploiting events, turning them to his advantage and taking credit for them," said Arab political commentator Ayman Abdel Nour. "Obviously, the Gulf states were not happy with Turkey taking the lead in Gaza, but at the same time they wanted this conflict to end, an agreement to be reached and "Hamas" be set aside".
Although Arab states shared an interest with Turkey in ending the war, the greater role assigned to Ankara was worrisome to them, said Lebanese analyst Sarkis Naum, recalling the history of Ottoman imperial rule over many countries in the region.
For "Hamas", the main concern was that Israel might abandon the deal and resume military operations. Deep distrust almost derailed the process.
"The only real guarantee came from four countries: Turkey, Qatar, Egypt and the Americans. Trump personally gave his word. The US message was: "Release the hostages, hand over the bodies and I guarantee there will be no return to war," a senior Hamas official said.
Crushing pressure on Hamas
Turkey's inclusion in the talks was initially blocked by Israel, but Trump intervened, pressuring Tel Aviv to allow Ankara to participate, two diplomats said.
A senior Hamas official said Gaza's military leaders accepted the truce not as a capitulation but under the crushing pressure of relentless mediation, a worsening humanitarian situation and a war-weary society.
The agreement led to the release of Israeli hostages taken during the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people and led to an Israeli offensive that has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians.
Whether the Gaza deal will ultimately pave the way for a Palestinian state remains unclear. Turkey and some Arab states, such as Qatar and Egypt, say the plan does not contain a roadmap to a two-state solution - a historic Palestinian demand.
When asked about the potential deployment of Turkish troops to Gaza in a post-war scenario and ways to ensure the enclave's security, Erdogan said on October 8 that the ceasefire talks were crucial for discussing the issue in detail, but the priority was achieving a complete ceasefire, aid deliveries and the reconstruction of Gaza.