UPDATE 2 - Türkiye’s foreign minister says closing ranks ‘a must’ to stop genocide in Palestine

REVISES HEADLINE, LEDE, EDITS THROUGH, ADDS MORE DETAILS FROM STATEMENT BY TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER

By Serdar Dincel

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Tuesday that "at a time when the international system is failing to stop the genocide in Palestine, closing ranks and acting together are not optional but a must."

Earlier, Fidan attended the 162nd session of the Arab League's Council of Foreign Ministers in the Egyptian capital of Cairo and met with his counterparts on the sidelines of the meeting.

It marked the first time that Türkiye participated in the Arab League's Council of Foreign Ministers after a gap of 13 years.

Fidan met with his counterparts on the margins of the meeting.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said on X that he also met with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

Fidan said they discussed a roadmap for future relations and potential high-level visits between Türkiye and the EU.

He met with his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Tunisian counterpart Mohamed Ali Nafti and Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi.

Fidan said his meetings with Prince Faisal, Nafti and Safadi primarily focused on the Gaza crisis and potential steps to address the "genocide in Palestine."

Ankara's renewed engagement with the Arab League comes at a time of evolving geopolitical dynamics around the world, especially in the Middle East and North Africa.