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Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will host his counterparts from Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Britain, France and Germany in Istanbul on Friday, Oct. 23, bringing the regional R4 group and the European E3 together for the first time to discuss the wars threatening shipping and regional security, Turkish diplomatic sources said Thursday.
The ministers are expected to discuss the Palestinian issue, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, developments related to Yemen and efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war, as well as possible cooperation between the two groups, the sources said.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan will attend, according to Turkish Foreign Ministry sources.
The R4 ministers will also meet separately.
The top Turkish diplomat is expected to stress that regional security requires regional countries to take primary responsibility and that disputes must not be allowed to fuel one another or spread to new areas, the sources said.
He is expected to say Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories and its "aggression extending across the region" are the main causes of Middle East tensions and to urge greater pressure on Israel over illegal settlement expansion and settler violence.
He will also call on all states to avoid actions that could harm Jerusalem’s historical and legal status or efforts toward a two-state solution, the sources said.
The Turkish FM will stress that the dispute between the United States and Iran can only be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue, warning that military methods offer no lasting solution and risk a wider conflict, according to the sources.
He will say lasting freedom of navigation in the Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb straits is vital for regional and global stability.
He is also expected to reaffirm Türkiye's support for Saudi Arabia’s security against Houthi attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, pointing to the Mecca Defense Alliance formed in August by Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
FM Fidan will acknowledge R4 and E3 contributions to Syria’s stability while highlighting Israel’s continued actions aimed at destabilizing the country, the sources said.
As a Black Sea littoral state, Türkiye will say it keeps conveying warnings and proposals to both sides to stop the Russia-Ukraine war from spreading to the Black Sea and that it stands ready to support efforts to end the war through dialogue.
He said last week Türkiye had delivered a proposal to Russia and Ukraine to keep the Black Sea out of the war.
The R4 was formed by Türkiye, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on the basis of "regional ownership" to support lasting stability. Its foreign ministers have met six times since the first meeting in Riyadh on March 18, including in Cairo on June 21, with the latest on Sept. 21 in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.
The E3 of Germany, Britain and France emerged from trilateral diplomacy on Iran’s nuclear program launched in 2003 and has since expanded to joint initiatives on wider regional and international issues.
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