FM Fidan to join OIC, Arab League summit in Riyadh as Gaza crisis escalates
FM Hakan Fidan (3rd L), Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit (L), Espen Barth Eide, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway (2nd L) and Vice-President of the European Commission and High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell (4th L) attend a meeting of the Gaza Contact Group at the Moncloa Prime Ministerial Residence in Madrid, Spain League, September 13, 2024. (AA Photo)
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will attend an extraordinary summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League in Riyadh on Sunday to address the ongoing crisis in Gaza. The meeting, confirmed by Turkish diplomatic sources on Saturday, will focus on escalating Israeli attacks in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon.
The summit will assess the implementation of resolutions passed last year and is expected to introduce new measures aimed at curbing the violence.
A central part of these discussions will be the role of the Gaza Contact Group, which includes Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Palestine, Indonesia, and Nigeria, and has actively sought to promote a two-state solution and advocate for Palestinian rights on the global stage.
Legal pressure on Israel and humanitarian aid
A key takeaway from last year’s summit was the push for increased political and legal pressure on Israel. The joint statement called for arms sales to Israel to be suspended and urged the UN Security Council to adopt a cease-fire resolution. Additionally, it advocated for international protective measures for Palestinian civilians and recommended that the International Criminal Court expedite investigations into alleged war crimes committed by Israel.
Member states, including Türkiye, have reiterated their support for Palestine in subsequent meetings held in the Gambia and Cameroon.
Humanitarian crisis in Gaza
Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which intensified following the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, has led to the deaths of 43,550 Palestinians and left more than 102,700 injured. With the blockade in place, Gaza faces critical shortages of essential supplies, including food, water, and medicine. Diplomatic efforts by the US, Egypt, and Qatar to broker a cease-fire and a prisoner swap between Israel and Hamas have so far failed, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continuing the military campaign.
Israel is also currently facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its actions in Gaza.
Türkiye to host OIC Summit in 2025
Meanwhile, Türkiye will take over the rotating chairmanship of the OIC Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs in 2025, where it will host the 51st session of the council, reinforcing its role in addressing the Palestinian crisis.
