Türkiye stepping up diplomatic push for Gaza ceasefire: Erdoğan

ISTANBUL

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan took part in a virtual meeting of European leaders on March 21.

Erdoğan attended the meeting from Istanbul's Dolmabahçe Office, and was accompanied by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, Chief Presidential Adviser on Foreign Policy and Security Akif Çağatay Kılıç, and Ömer Çelik, the spokesman for Türkiye's Justice and Development (AK) Party.

The meeting was the second of its kind, designed to update the leaders on EU heads of states and government’s discussions regarding support for Ukraine and European defense.

Besides Erdoğan, the meeting included European Council President Antonio Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, as well as leaders from Iceland, Norway, and the U.K.

Meanwhile, Erdoğan met with Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo in Istanbul, where the two leaders discussed strengthening bilateral ties and addressing regional and global developments.

The meeting, announced by the Presidency Communications Directorate, highlighted Türkiye's growing engagement with Africa and its efforts to mediate in the ongoing Gaza crisis.