Türkiye pushes for solution for Gaza at G-20 meeting
Türkiye’s top diplomat Hakan Fidan represented Ankara’s stance at a G-20 meeting in Brazil as he sought to rally the international community for a ceasefire and lasting solution for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict
foreign ministers meeting in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan led Türkiye’s efforts to address the plight of Palestinians trapped under the Israeli blockade and constant attacks. Fidan held bilateral talks on the sidelines of the summit where he highlighted Ankara’s role in diplomatic work to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
His latest meeting was with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who recently visited Türkiye in his shuttle diplomacy across the region. Fidan and Blinken exchanged views on the steps that could be taken to ensure a full cease-fire in the Gaza Strip “as soon as possible,” said Turkish diplomatic sources. They also discussed the war in Ukraine, NATO’s expansion process, peace talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia and other regional issues.
Fidan also held closed-door discussions Wednesday with his German and Bolivian counterparts. Fidan and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock discussed bilateral relations between Türkiye and Germany, according to Turkish diplomatic sources. He informed Baerbock of Türkiye’s views on concrete steps that can be taken to end “the brutality” in the Gaza Strip.
In a separate meeting, Fidan and his Bolivian counterpart Celinda Sosa Lunda agreed on further strengthening the relations between their countries, especially in the fields of defense industry, health and culture. They also discussed steps to increase bilateral trade. Fidan and Lunda also discussed regional and global developments, including the tragedy in Gaza, according to the sources.
He also met Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry. They discussed the steps to further improve the bilateral relations under a joint declaration signed during President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s recent visit to Egypt, according to Turkish diplomatic sources. The ministers also exchanged views on the situation in the Gaza Strip and the measures to be taken to deliver more humanitarian aid to the besieged Palestinian enclave.
Earlier, he attended a session on the role of G-20 in ongoing international tensions at the G-20 foreign ministers meeting in Brazil, where he said the “brutality in Gaza should be stopped as soon as possible.” He encouraged the international community and the G-20 to support a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, sources said. Regarding the Ukraine crisis, Fidan said Ankara hopes Russia and Ukraine will resort to diplomacy to reach a solution, as Feb. 24, which will mark the third year of the war, approaches. He added that Türkiye will continue to maintain initiatives in that regard. Moreover, the minister said the international community is facing many challenges brought on by technologies such as global inequality and injustice, economic vulnerabilities, environmental problems and artificial intelligence. He emphasized the importance of global diplomacy and the G-20 developing joint initiatives in all crisis areas, according to sources. Fidan invited all parties to work for global peace and security under the theme, “Highlighting Diplomacy in Preventing Crises” of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, to be held March 1-3.
Türkiye has been a staunch defender of the Palestinian cause and continues diplomatic and legal efforts to resolve the conflict. A group of its top jurists brought a case against the Israeli administration over the Gaza atrocities to the International Criminal Court (ICC) last November, while Turkish state institutions and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have been working to deliver humanitarian aid in coordination with Egypt.
Israel launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, and the ensuing bombardment has killed more than 29,000 Palestinians. It has also displaced 85% of the territory’s population, destroyed or damaged 60% of its infrastructure and caused acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine.