UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS FROM TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER, ADDS BACKGROUND
By Diyar Guldogan
WASHINGTON (AA) — Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Friday reiterated his call for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
"What we are trying to promote is a permanent two-state solution," Fidan told reporters in Washington.
Fidan, along with his counterparts assigned by a joint Arab-Islamic extraordinary summit last month, is visiting the US to press for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, which has been under relentless Israeli attacks for over two months.
"The problem is now bigger than the Israelis and the Palestinians themselves,
"Therefore, we think the regional governments should solve the problem and should act responsibly," said Fidan, underlining the need for a two-state solution to be achieved after a cease-fire in Gaza to avoid another war in region.
He said this would be what the ministerial committee sought to promote, noting that such a solution had to be a "structural" one.
Türkiye is ready to make every contribution to reach this aim, he stressed.
The committee has been pressing for a two-state solution, and called for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the 1967 borders.
Israel resumed its military offensive on the Gaza Strip on Dec. 1 after the end of a weeklong humanitarian pause with Palestinian group Hamas.
At least 17,487 Palestinians have been killed and more than 46,480 others injured in relentless air and ground attacks on the enclave since Oct. 7 following a cross-border attack by Hamas.
The Israeli death toll in the Hamas attack stands at 1,200, according to official figures.