Fidan hosts R4 and first R4+E3 meetings in Istanbul

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan hosted the foreign ministers of the R4, comprising Türkiye, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, in Istanbul. The first R4+E3 meeting was then held with the participation of Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Italy. Fidan also met with British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan hosted an intensive round of diplomatic talks in Istanbul. The foreign ministers of the R4 mechanism, comprising Türkiye, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, first met among themselves. The meeting was attended by Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan.

The ministers posed for a family photo before the meeting. The R4, which held its first meeting in Riyadh on March 18, had met six times to date. The previous meeting was held in New York on September 21, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

R4 foreign ministers Abdelatty, Dar, Fidan and Faisal bin Farhan pose for a family photo

First meeting with European ministers at the same table

Following the R4 meeting, the foreign ministers of the E3 countries, comprising Germany, the United Kingdom and France, joined the talks. The R4+E3 meeting, held for the first time at Türkiye's initiative, was attended by German Foreign Minister Johann David Wadephul, British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot. Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also took part, bringing the foreign ministers of eight countries together on the Bosphorus.

The talks, held as part of the 9th Istanbul Mediation Conference, addressed the issue of Palestine, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, developments linked to Yemen and efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the Russia-Ukraine war. The participants also discussed potential opportunities for future cooperation and coordination between the two groups.

R4+E3 foreign ministers' meeting in Istanbul

Türkiye's message: Regional security is first and foremost the responsibility of regional countries

Türkiye emphasizes that regional countries bear the primary responsibility for regional security and that the spread of conflicts into new areas must be prevented. Ankara views Israel's occupation of Palestine as the main cause of tensions in the Middle East, reiterates its call for support for a two-state solution and seeks increased pressure on Israel over illegal settlements and settler violence.

Türkiye also advocates resolving the dispute between the United States and Iran through diplomacy and permanently ensuring freedom of navigation in the Straits of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb. Ankara has highlighted its support for Saudi Arabia's security in the face of Houthi attacks and the importance of the Makkah Defense Alliance, while stating that it is ready to make every contribution toward ending the Russia-Ukraine war through dialogue.

Italian Foreign Minister Tajani described the initiative by the Turkish government and Minister Fidan as a timely and effective step. Tajani said the participants were working on a joint statement on peace in the Gulf and the Middle East more broadly.

Bilateral meetings on the sidelines

Fidan also held bilateral meetings with his counterparts on the sidelines of the talks. The Foreign Ministry announced that Fidan met separately with British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot. No details were provided about the content of the meetings.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband

The British Foreign Office had announced that during Miliband's engagements in Istanbul, he would advocate a diplomatic solution to the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz that would fully restore navigational rights and freedoms.

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Fidan hosts R4 and first R4+E3 meetings in Istanbul