Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in Istanbul on October 23. Fidan also held a separate meeting with French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot on the same day.
The French Foreign Ministry said the meeting, which followed Barrot's visit to Ankara on January 27, 2026, addressed key bilateral issues between France and Türkiye, as well as cooperation between the European Union and Türkiye.

R4 and European partners meet for first time
The two ministers attended a meeting hosted by Fidan in Istanbul on the same day, bringing together the R4 group, comprising Türkiye, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, with Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Italy for the first time.
The meeting addressed regional crises, particularly the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz, and efforts to strengthen coordination between European countries and the countries of the region.