Fidan Chairs R4+E3 Meeting in Istanbul with Italian Participation

Foreign ministers of R4+E3 held a meeting in Istanbul with Italian participation, chaired by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, according to Turkish Foreign Ministry sources.

The agenda includes dossiers on the Palestinian crisis, developments in the Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab straits, developments related to Yemen, and exploring ways to resolve the Russia-Ukraine war, as well as prospects for cooperation and coordination between R4 and E3 countries.

No joint statements or announced results have been issued from the meeting so far.

Fidan is expected to emphasize in his remarks that regional security requires countries in the region to assume their responsibility first, and that Turkey prioritizes strengthening cooperation mechanisms based on regional ownership. He is also expected to warn that fueling conflicts between one another, the spread of conflicts to new areas, and the transformation of regional tensions into comprehensive destabilization should be avoided.

Ministry sources indicate that Fidan will reaffirm that the continuing Israeli occupation in Palestine, the rigid stance obstructing international peace efforts, and aggression extending to the entire region all represent the root sources of Middle East tensions. He will call on all states to refrain from any actions that would affect the historical and legal status of Jerusalem or harm two-state solution efforts, calling on the international community for a firm stance and escalating pressure on Israel in response to the expansion of illegal settlements and the encouragement of illegal settler terrorism.

On the U.S.-Iran file, Fidan is expected to stress that the dispute between the United States and Iran can only be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue, and that military methods do not provide a lasting solution but rather exacerbate regional fragilities and bring the risk of wider conflict. He will emphasize that establishing permanent freedom of navigation in the Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab straits is of paramount importance for regional and global stability.

Fidan is also expected to affirm Turkey's support for Saudi Arabia's security in the face of Houthi attacks targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure on Saudi territory, pointing to the importance of solidarity and the concept of shared security embodied by the Mecca Defense Alliance.

On Syria, Fidan will note the valuable contributions that R4 and E3 countries are making to promote stability and prosperity there, pointing to Israel's continued implementation of acts aimed at destabilizing Syria. On Ukraine, he will affirm that Turkey, as a Black Sea littoral state, continues to convey its warnings and proposals to conflict parties with the aim of preventing the war from spreading to the Black Sea and ending civilian casualties there, expressing his country's readiness to provide all possible support to end this war through dialogue and diplomacy.

The R4 mechanism brings together Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia on the basis of regional ownership principle aimed at supporting lasting stability and addressing regional dossiers.