Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was asked about Israel’s upcoming elections at a joint press conference in Ankara with Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Anita Orbán. "Frankly, I don’t think there will be much change in its foreign policy," he said.
"But frankly there is also an expectation in international public opinion that certain grounds could be discussed and debated more easily, and that further steps could be taken on certain issues with a new government," Fidan added. Israel holds a general election for the 120-seat Knesset on Oct. 27, after parliament was dissolved in July.
Gaza, the West Bank and Al-Aqsa
Turning to the Palestinian issue, Fidan said Türkiye is making every effort on every platform to stop "the ongoing drama in Gaza," to prevent the acceleration of "the land grab that has begun in the West Bank" and to thwart "insidious operations being planned against Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem." "Our sensitivity on this issue is incredibly high," he said.
Defense support against attacks from Yemen
Fidan said military officials are making technical assessments of what Türkiye, together with Pakistan, could contribute to Saudi Arabia’s defense against attacks from Yemen, with work continuing in military committees on areas such as air defense and electronic warfare.
Saying that "cheap political rhetoric" voiced at times does not match reality, Fidan noted that Yemen’s legitimate government forces are fighting on the ground with Saudi support, while Türkiye is doing what it can for a peaceful solution through dialogue. "This is called a defense agreement. When a country that is party to it is attacked, you stand by it for its defense. It is not an attack agreement. Türkiye will not send its troops to another country’s territory to carry out an attack there," he said.
