Foreign ministers from seven major European and Middle Eastern countries will meet in Istanbul on Friday to discuss key regional security issues, a Turkish diplomatic source said on Thursday.
Istanbul, Turkey © Mena Today
Foreign ministers from seven major European and Middle Eastern countries will meet in Istanbul on Friday to discuss key regional security issues, a Turkish diplomatic source said on Thursday.
The meeting will bring together the top diplomats of France, Britain and Germany, as well as Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt. According to the Turkish source, talks will focus primarily on the Palestinian question, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, developments in Yemen and efforts to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Turkey, which initiated the meeting, is increasingly asserting itself as a leading regional power. In August, it founded a defence agreement with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia known as the Mecca Pact. Egypt has been mentioned as a possible member but has not joined so far.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will stress during the meeting that regional security requires, above all, that the countries of the region take responsibility, the source said.
Listening, without naivety
Yet Ankara is hardly a neutral broker. Over the past three years, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has become one of Israel’s fiercest critics.
Against this backdrop, the ministers gathered in Istanbul will need to avoid lending their endorsement to the Turkish government’s strategy, particularly on the Palestinian issue and Lebanon.
Listening, yes. Being naive, no.
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