Israel has asked the Trump administration to exclude Recep Tayyip Erdogan from a proposed Board of Peace (BoP) for Gaza. According to two officials familiar with the matter, the request was raised during talks in recent weeks between senior Israeli officials and senior U.S. counterparts on implementing the Trump plan for Gaza. The Jerusalem Post cited those officials as saying Israel aims to curb Türkiye’s influence at multiple stages of the postwar framework.

Israel has already vetoed the presence of Turkish troops in Gaza as part of an International Stabilization Force slated for a next phase of the plan. That objection places limits on Ankara’s security footprint while shifting pressure to the political layer of the process, where the BoP is expected to shape oversight and coordination.

“Turkey Has Been Great”

Public signals from Washington have diverged from Israel’s private lobbying. On Monday, at the start of a Mar-a-Lago meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu, Donald Trump was asked about Turkish troops in Gaza and said, “I think it’s a good thing,” adding, “Turkey has been great.” Trump also said, “I know Erdogan very well, and, as you all know, he’s a good friend of mine. I believe him, and I respect him. So does Netanyahu.” The remarks highlight a gap between U.S. rhetoric and Israeli preferences as institutional details remain unsettled.

Next month, Trump is expected to announce the BoP’s composition alongside a technocratic Palestinian government vetted by Israel from a submitted list. Several sources told the Jerusalem Post that a final decision has not yet been made, leaving the question of Türkiye’s seat unresolved.

Reconstruction And Control Risks

Beyond security, Israeli officials have sought to limit Türkiye’s role in Gaza’s reconstruction. “In Israel, there is concern that Turkish involvement in humanitarian affairs and reconstruction efforts would give Ankara a significant foothold in controlling the Strip,” a source familiar with the talks told the Jerusalem Post.

Some Trump administration officials argue Erdogan should be included because Türkiye, alongside Egypt and Qatar, is a guarantor of an agreement signed with Hamas. That guarantor status, they say, anchors compliance and access even as it complicates Israeli threat perceptions.

Somaliland Dispute Broadens Rift

Israel-Türkiye tensions extend beyond Gaza. Days after Israel recognized Somaliland, Erdogan hosted Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and criticized the move as destabilizing the Horn of Africa. “Preserving the unity and territorial integrity of Somalia under all circumstances is of special importance to us. Israel’s decision to recognize Somaliland is illegitimate and unacceptable,” Erdogan said.

Erdogan also outlined future bilateral projects with Somalia, including offshore energy drilling planned for 2026 and the addition of two new drilling vessels, as well as plans for a spaceport.