Turkish foreign minister to attend Gaza Contact Group meeting

By Muhammet Tarhan

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Friday will attend a meeting of the Gaza Contact Group, formed by members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League in Madrid.

According to the diplomatic sources, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, and representatives from Nigeria and Ireland will also attend the meeting.

The meeting will focus on ending the Israeli attacks on Gaza and the West Bank with an immediate and lasting cease-fire, continuing efforts to recognize Palestine as a state and reviving the two-state solution process.

As part of the meeting, foreign ministers of the Gaza Contact Group and other representatives are expected to be received by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

- Fidan to raise many issues

Türkiye primarily aims to ensure a cease-fire in Gaza and uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, while at the same time taking the necessary steps towards a two-state solution.

In line with these objectives, Fidan has been conducting intensive diplomacy for a long time.

He is expected to discuss with his counterparts the steps that can be taken to achieve these goals.

Fidan is also expected to raise issues such as the international community piling pressure on Israel, the involvement of more countries in the case before the International Court of Justice, Palestine's membership in the UN, and its recognition by more countries.

Supporting the reconciliation process among Palestinians, humanitarian aid and the continuation of aid to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees are also among the issues Fidan is expected to raise.

- OIC-Arab League Contact Group

The contact group was established at a joint summit of the OIC and the Arab League in Saudi Arabia in November to stop the conflict in Gaza and help achieve lasting peace.

The contact group continues its efforts to stop the war in Gaza and reach a two-state solution.

This year, Norway, Ireland, Spain, and Slovenia recognized the state of Palestine.

On the occasion of Spain's recognition of Palestine as a state on May 29, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez invited the foreign ministers of the contact group countries to Madrid for talks on ending the violence in Gaza and implementing a two-state solution.

Nearly 41,100 people, mostly women and children, have been killed and more than 95,000 injured in relentless Israeli attacks on Gaza since Oct. 7, according to local health authorities.

The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the territory amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel faces accusations of genocide for its actions in Gaza at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

*Writing by Serdar Dincel