Washington: Turkey is key to Gaza ceasefire efforts

Turkey is playing a key role in arranging a ceasefire in Gaza, US State Department spokeswoman Mary Harf said yesterday.

Speaking at the daily press briefing, Harf said that US Secretary of State John Kerry spoke to his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu three times yesterday.

Asked why Kerry called Davutoglu three times despite the fact that Washington is unhappy about Turkish prime minister’s anti-Israel remarks, Harf said that Turkey has a role to play due to their relationship with Hamas.

“They have a relationship with Hamas. I mean, they can, you know, have conversations that we can’t,” she said, pointing out that “the Turkish foreign minister is a key player in the region and has some leverage he can bring to bear on the situation.”