Turkish foreign minister presses for cease-fire in Gaza

By Mehmet Sah Yilmaz and Gokhan Celiker

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has called for a comprehensive cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, diplomatic sources said Wednesday.

Fidan visited London and Paris with his counterparts from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League as part of efforts to stop the war in Gaza and achieve lasting peace.

He said countries with influence over Israel should press for peace.

A joint diplomatic initiative originating from an Nov. 11 extraordinary joint summit of the OIC and the Arab League in the Saudi capital Riyadh tasked foreign ministers from pivotal nations including Türkiye, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar and Nigeria to undertake iinitiatives aimed at halting the war in Gaza.

The delegation was also received by French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.

It also met with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna and emphasized the importance of achieving a comprehensive and sustainable cease-fire in Gaza as soon as possible.

Stressing the need for effective and urgent measures by members of the UN Security Council and the international community, the delegation highlighted the priority for OIC and Arab League countries to ensure safe passage for the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid, food, water, fuel and electricity to Gaza.

It underscored that Israel's crimes should not be overlooked, urging all countries with influence over Israel to act in accordance with international law and call for a comprehensive peace and two-state solution and emphasizing the importance of working together for a lasting and comprehensive peace.

The delegation is visiting the five permanent member countries of the UN Security Council to urge them to use their influence on Israel to help achieve a cease-fire in Gaza.

To achieve this goal, it first met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing from Nov. 20-21.

On Tuesday, the delegation met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow.

The contact group urged both countries to take action for a comprehensive cease-fire in Gaza using their influence over Israel.

*Writing by Alperen Aktas from Istanbul