Gaza contact group to convene during ADF
ANKARA
The Gaza contact group, consisting of foreign ministers from major Muslim countries, is set to convene on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) to address recent developments amid escalating Israeli attacks., Turkish diplomatic sources have said.
The fourth edition of the ADF will kick off on April 11 with opening speeches by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The three-day event will bring around 20 heads of states and governments, more than 50 foreign ministers, hundreds of experts, academics and diplomats from more than 140 countries.
The ADF, under the theme of Reclaiming Diplomacy in a Fragmented World, will discuss a wide range of global and geopolitical issues from the Middle East to Asia-Pacific, from Africa to Latin America, as well as climate change, counterterrorism, humanitarian aid, digitalization, food security and AI.
There will be around 50 panels during which the participants will have the opportunity to discuss all these issues and create new solutions to address global diplomatic, economic, social and environmental problems.
The ADF will also pave the way for bilateral and multilateral meetings, the sources said. Apart from scores of bilateral meetings between the participants, the ADF will host key gatherings, like the Gaza contact group.
Fidan and foreign ministers from prominent Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Arab League countries will hold a separate meeting to discuss the latest situation in Gaza after Israel broke the ceasefire and resumed its military operations.
The situation in Gaza will also be discussed at a special session during which the participants will reflect on the work and future projects of the contact group regarding Gaza.
In Antalya, Fidan will also attend a trilateral meeting with his counterparts from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, Elmedin Konakovic and Gordan Grlic Radman. Another meeting Fidan will hold will be Türkiye-Iraq High Level Security Mechanism meeting with the participation of Iraq's top diplomat Fuad Hussein.
Türkiye and Iraq have intensified cooperation in the field of security after the latter categorized PKK as a banned organization in Iraq. In an interview with an Iraqi TV, Fidan expressed Ankara’s expectations for a more intense struggle against PKK inside the Iraqi territories.
The two countries have already established a joint mechanism to address terrorism problems through agreements they signed in 2024.
Russian, Ukrainian top diplomats to attend ADF
In the meantime, the ADF will host the foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine, Sergey Lavrov and Andrii Sybiha, respectively; however, there is no plan for a direct or indirect meeting between the two men.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova announced Lavrov’s attendance on April 9. The Russian minister is set to speak at a panel on April 12 and will also meet with Fidan.
Sybiha will be in Antalya as well, accompanied by other senior Ukrainian officials.
The ADF was the only venue when the foreign ministers of two warring countries came together in March 2022, weeks after the Russian occupation of Ukraine started.
