FM attends Riyadh meeting on Gaza ceasefire

RIYADH

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has joined several counterparts in Riyadh to participate in a crucial meeting aimed at advancing efforts for a ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave.

The gathering on April 28 brought together officials from a group formed jointly by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League.

Discussions have centered on the formulation of unified strategies to recognize Palestine as a sovereign state and explore diplomatic avenues to exert pressure on Israel and its supporters, according to reports from local media.

The formation of the coalition dubbed "contact group" stems from a joint summit held in Saudi Arabia last November, where members pledged to intervene in the conflict and foster sustainable peace in the region.

In recent months, the group has engaged in dialogues with key stakeholders, including the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, to garner support for its objectives.

Insights gleaned from today's meeting will reportedly influence decisions to be made at an upcoming summit of the OIC scheduled in Banjul on May 4.

Alongside his participation in the Riyadh gathering, Fidan was slated to hold bilateral discussions with counterparts from Jordan, Norway, Yemen and the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

The timing of the group's meeting coincides with a special session of the World Economic Forum in the Saudi capital, underscoring the urgency of addressing tensions in the Middle East.

High-profile attendees, including U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Palestinian leaders, were expected to address the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas during the summit.

The day before, Fidan engaged in talks with Greek counterpart Giorgos Gerapetritis in London. The meeting was part of preparations for Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' upcoming visit to Ankara, according to Turkish officials.

The upcoming visit, reportedly scheduled for May 13, follows a landmark meeting held last December, where President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Mitsotakis expressed mutual commitment to turning a "new page" in diplomatic relations.

The five-hour discussion, which took place during the first high cooperation council gathering between the two neighbors in seven years, marked a potential turning point in their historically strained relations.