Diplomat Fidan to travel to Egypt for in-depth discussions on Egypt-Turkey relations and regional affairs.
In a significant development, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is scheduled to visit Egypt on Saturday for high-level talks focusing on bilateral relations and regional developments. The discussions will include the current status of ceasefire negotiations between Hamas and Israel, as well as the outcomes of the International Conference on Palestine.
Fidan's visit comes after his attendance at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation-Arab League Gaza Contact Group Meeting in Cairo on March 23. During this meeting, he discussed the ongoing efforts to end the genocide in Gaza and ensure uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid.
The upcoming meetings will also address challenges in North and East Africa and the Sahel region, particularly Libya, Sudan, and Somalia. The discussions will emphasize that Israel's actions targeting the two-state solution and recent steps toward annexing Gaza are the biggest obstacle to regional peace and stability.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi is expected to receive Minister Fidan during the visit. This meeting follows a previous encounter between the two leaders during the 51st Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation held in Istanbul on June 20-21.
The negotiations have so far been mediated primarily by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States. However, specific involvement by Turkey in these ceasefire talks is not prominently reported in the latest available news sources. The major mediators mentioned are Egypt and Qatar, working alongside the US, with no explicit indication that Turkey is playing a direct or significant role in the current ceasefire efforts.
Israel’s position remains firm on disarming Hamas, restoring Israeli security control over Gaza, and establishing a civil administration alternative to both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority. Hamas, on the other hand, has shown willingness to return to ceasefire negotiations amid ongoing Israeli aerial bombardments of Gaza City, with a conditional release of hostages for Palestinian prisoner release.
In summary, the ceasefire talks focus on the release of all hostages simultaneously for a lasting ceasefire, with Israel demanding disarmament of Hamas, regaining security control over Gaza, and establishing a new civil administration. Hamas, meanwhile, is open to returning to negotiations, but demands the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel in exchange for releasing the remaining hostages.
As the talks continue, the outcomes of the International Conference on Palestine, held in New York on July 28-30, will also be evaluated during the discussions. The meetings will address the contributions both Turkey and Egypt can make to regional stability, with discussions covering the current status of ceasefire negotiations between Hamas and Israel, as well as challenges in North and East Africa and the Sahel region.
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- The Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan's upcoming meetings in Egypt will not only focus on bilateral relations and regional developments but also delve into international news matters, such as the current status of ceasefire negotiations between Hamas and Israel, given his previous discussions on the issue at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation-Arab League Gaza Contact Group Meeting in Cairo.
- During his visit to Istanbul for the 51st Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan had discussions with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi about the ongoing challenges in North and East Africa and the Sahel region, including Libya, Sudan, and Somalia, which are also expected to be addressed in their forthcoming talks.