R4 statement calls Israeli occupation the region’s main source of instability

The foreign ministers of Türkiye, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan emphasized in a joint statement issued after the R4 meeting in Istanbul that the Israeli occupation is the main source of instability in the region and beyond. The statement called on the Houthis to halt their attacks and urged the resumption of safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

The foreign ministers of the R4 mechanism formed by Türkiye, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan issued a joint statement after their meeting in Istanbul, hosted by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The statement said the Israeli occupation is the main source of instability in the region and beyond, and emphasized that Israeli policies are deepening perceptions of injustice worldwide.

Two-state solution and Jerusalem

R4 foreign ministers in a family photo in Istanbul

The ministers called for the two-state solution to be implemented without delay in line with UN resolutions, and for the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the borders of June 4, 1967. The statement called for an immediate end to Israeli violence and an end to attempts to alter Jerusalem’s legal and historical status.

The ministers condemned all past and present settlement activity in the West Bank and Jerusalem, as well as settler violence against Palestinians, and emphasized the importance of ensuring the uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza and the reconstruction of the area.

Call to the Houthis and navigation in Hormuz

The statement condemned in the strongest terms the Houthis’ ongoing attacks against Saudi Arabia and attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb. The ministers said they stood in full solidarity with the governments of Saudi Arabia and Yemen, and called on the Houthis to immediately halt all military actions, threats and attacks and return to the political process in good faith.

The statement said the military conflict between the United States and Israel and Iran must be resolved solely through dialogue and diplomacy, and expressed support for the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding. Rejecting any measure that obstructs legitimate navigation, the ministers called for the rapid and complete resumption of safe and unimpeded passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

The R4 ministers agreed to maintain close consultation and coordination on these issues.

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