Turkish foreign minister calls on Islamic world to press for arms embargo on Israel

By Gokhan Celiker and Serdar Dincel

ANKARA / ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Sunday called on the Islamic world to press for an arms embargo on Israel, which continues indiscriminate attacks both in Gaza and Lebanon.

In his address at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)-Arab League Joint Extraordinary Summit of Foreign Ministers Meeting in Saudi capital Riyadh, Fidan said Türkiye's initiative at the UN to stop arms transfers to Israel has received the support of 52 countries, including permanent members of the UN Security Council.

What is lacking, he said, is not determination or moral ground for the Palestinian cause but coercive actions. He underscored the need for concrete measures to stop the bloodshed and prevent a wider regional war in the Middle East.

There are other means such as halting trade with Israel and intervening in the ongoing genocide case at the International Court of Justice, Fidan noted, adding that a campaign should also be launched to support the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).

Fidan said Israel's attacks on Gaza, which have killed more than 43,000 people since last October, must end, and underlined the need to act in unity and cooperation with countries that heed the calls.

He said the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem is under threat, noting that Israel's far-right politicians, including ministers, have openly expressed their intention to change its historical status quo.

Fidan said this situation is a matter of concern not only for Palestinians but for all Muslims, calling for unity in both words and actions.

On the sidelines of the session, Fidan met his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein, Maldivian counterpart Abdulla Khaleel, Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar, and Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty.