UPDATE - Turkish foreign minister urges world to prevent starvation, diseases in Gaza

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILED REMARKS FORM THE MEETING

By Necva Tastan and Mustafa Talha Ozturk

ISTANBUL (AA) – Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Monday warned of a major disaster in Gaza as humanitarian aid is being denied, urging international action to prevent starvation and disease outbreaks among the 2 million people held hostage.

In a joint press conference with his Albanian counterpart Igli Hasani in Tirana, Fidan said: "Humanitarian aid and medical supplies not permitted to enter Gaza are currently indicative of major disaster inside."

“Having witnessed the loss of thousands of lives, we are now confronted with the dire situation of Palestinians held hostage, grappling with the imminent threat of hunger and disease,” he stressed.

He urged "the international community to take preventive measures through various means to avoid the hunger and epidemic diseases that could annihilate the 2 million people currently being held hostage."

Fidan also emphasized the need to explore alternatives to current methods for delivering aid to Gaza.

"Thousands of innocent civilians continue to be killed. We are facing another level of tragedy," he added.

- Counterterrorism

Fidan also discussed various issues with Hasani, particularly counterterrorism and regional security, emphasizing Türkiye's "sensitivity" in removing the last traces of FETO from Albania.

He discussed potential solutions and strategies for dealing with this issue.

The foreign minister also commended Albania's "successful" term as a temporary UN Security Council member in 2023, emphasizing its importance to Albanian diplomacy.

He reaffirmed Türkiye's commitment to ongoing regional cooperation with Albania and congratulated Tiran on assuming the Black Sea Economic Cooperation presidency.

The minister underscored the importance of revitalizing the platform and implementing high-quality projects, while also discussing the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on Europe’s security, economy, and global implications.

Hasani, for his part, reiterated good relations between Türkiye and Albania and expressed hope for an increase in current trade volume.

"We realized that our mutual trade does not reflect our true capacity. For this reason, we are determined to increase our mutual trade volume to €1 billion ($1.082 billion) from €760 million ($820 million)," said Hasani.

He also thanked Türkiye for supporting Europo's security by supporting Kosovo's independence passing Sweden's NATO bill at its national assembly and supporting

"I want to thank Turkey for supporting Kosovo's recognition and membership in international organizations. --I would also like to thank the Turkish Parliament for approving Sweden's membership in NATO. This is how Europe's security is now complete," said Hasani.

Turkish parliament last week ratified Sweden's membership in a 287 to 55 vote. Hungary is now the only NATO member state that has not signed off on the Nordic country's entry into the alliance.

Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas last October.

The onslaught has killed more than 26,000 people, mostly women and children, displaced 85% of the blockaded enclave's population, and created conditions for famine. Israel says 1,200 people were killed in the initial Hamas attack.

The International Court of Justice, in its interim ruling in the genocide case filed by South Africa, ordered Israel to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza and enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance to address the adverse conditions of life faced by Palestinians.

Tel Aviv also has to submit a report to the ICJ on all measures taken to give effect to this order within one month.