ISTANBUL

Türkiye’s intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin said on Friday that the ceasefire in Gaza marks the end of a significant and painful chapter.

Speaking at the opening of the National Intelligence Academy’s International Congress on Intelligence Studies in Ankara — the first international intelligence conference organized in Türkiye — Kalin said the truce reached this week between Israel and Hamas represents a historic turning point but cautioned that its implementation will require “great vigilance and care.”

“With the establishment of the ceasefire in Gaza, as of this morning, we have left behind an important period in our recent history,” said Kalin, head of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT).

“The genocide policies carried out against the people of Gaza for two years have, as of today, ended with this ceasefire.”

The ceasefire agreement was first announced by US President Donald Trump, based on his 20-point ceasefire plan that includes the release of all Israeli captives in exchange for around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, a permanent ceasefire, and a gradual withdrawal of the Israeli forces from the entire Gaza Strip.

A second phase of the plan calls for the establishment of a new governing mechanism in Gaza without Hamas’ participation, the formation of a security force comprising Palestinians and troops from Arab and Islamic countries, and the disarmament of Hamas. It also stipulates Arab and Islamic funding for the new administration and the reconstruction of the enclave, with limited participation from the Palestinian Authority.

- Gaza ceasefire fragile, requires careful monitoring and enforcement

Kalin described the truce as "fragile," warning that enforcing it will be a delicate and critical process.

“I say this with great caution,” he said. “The implementation of the ceasefire will be our most important responsibility. It requires sensitivity and attention, as violations or acts of sabotage can always occur in such fragile environments. But as of today, we have a ceasefire before us.”

The intelligence chief emphasized that the ceasefire should be viewed as the first step toward resolving the decades-long conflict rather than its conclusion.

“This ceasefire is not the solution itself — it is only the first step,” Kalin said. “The real solution will only come when a Palestinian state is established and a two-state solution is implemented in the Middle East.”

Kalin added that Türkiye believes achieving such a resolution is possible, stressing the importance of political will and determination.

“During the intense negotiations held a day ago, we saw clearly that where mutual trust is lacking, what resolves problems is willpower, intent, determination — and the hope these generate,” he said.

On the National Intelligence Academy, he said it was established about a year and a half ago, and has already begun to play “a key role in shaping the intelligence discipline and ecosystem in Türkiye” through research, reports, and workshops.