President Erdoğan, speaking at the Higher Education Academic Year Opening, expressed satisfaction with the recent Gaza ceasefire agreement, emphasizing Türkiye's role in fostering the deal and underscoring the importance of implementing its terms, including humanitarian aid and the cessation of hostilities.
To the esteemed administrators of our Council of Higher Education and our universities, our valuable academics, and our dear youth, the guarantors of our future, I salute you all with my most heartfelt feelings, respect, and affection."
"I express my sincere hope that the 2025–2026 Higher Education Academic Year will be auspicious for our country and nation, along with our faculty, students, and personnel serving in our universities."
Erdoğan stated his particular joy over the good news that came from Sharm El-Sheikh last night and today.
"As you know, for a long time, we have been intensively striving to stop the bloodshed and establish a ceasefire in Gaza."
He recalled a meeting on Gaza held at the UN General Assembly in New York with President Trump, followed by discussions with Trump and his delegation during a visit to the White House.
"Subsequently, Mr. Trump announced a 20-point peace plan, and Hamas declared its readiness for negotiations. After yesterday's understanding, praise be to God, the signatures were affixed today."
"We express our great satisfaction with the agreement, to which we actively contributed from the very beginning."
Erdoğan stressed the immediate importance of delivering comprehensive humanitarian aid to Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners, the immediate cessation of Israeli attacks, and ensuring the withdrawal to the agreed-upon lines.
"We will meticulously follow the letter-by-letter implementation of the agreed-upon articles of the agreement."
Erdoğan concluded by stating, "As Türkiye, we will, God willing, take our place in the task force that will monitor the agreement's implementation on the ground."
