Diplomacy forum focuses on Gaza amid continued Israeli offensive
ANTALYA
The Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) was launched on March 1 with an emphasis on the continued tragedy in Gaza as Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan reiterated Ankara’s calls for an urgent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas which would be followed by efforts to find a lasting solution to the decades-old question.
The three-day forum that brings 19 heads of state and governments, dozens of foreign ministers, academics, and think tanks across the world together was officially opened by the address of Foreign Minister Fidan.
“What is happening in Gaza is the clearest sign of the legitimacy crisis of the international system. The picture of Gaza is displaying a moment of disaster where the hypocrisy of the international system is revealed in an undisguised way,” said Fidan in his opening address.
Although the entire world, including the Islamic world and global south as well as conscious people of the West are demanding an urgent ceasefire, the perpetrators of the massacre do not listen to this outcry, the Turkish minister recalled, suggesting the importance of implementing diplomacy to end the bloodshed.
“Whatever needs to be done will be done now to prevent massacres like those in Gaza,” Fidan said, underlining that Türkiye will continue to do its best to end the violence and start negotiations for a lasting agreement.
“We have been expressing since the beginning of the crisis that we are ready to assume responsibility, including guarantorship, together with the countries in the region,” he said.
Ministers met at a special panel on Gaza
Following the opening of the forum, a special panel devoted to the developments in Gaza was organized with the participation of foreign ministers of Türkiye, Palestine and Egypt. The ministers discussed the latest situation in the enclave under the Israeli offensive and ways to end the massacres which have already killed more than 30,000 civilians, mostly children and women.
They have emphasized the need for global action for peace in the Middle East which requires a solid policy to stop the Israeli indiscriminate and unproportioned attacks on Gaza.
HH Fidan meets Lavrov
On the sidelines of the forum, Foreign Minister Fidan had bilateral meetings with a number of his counterparts, including Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
The two ministers discussed bilateral issues and regional developments as well as the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia.
“At the current stage of the war, we need to seriously seek ways to bring the parties together. We are ready today, as yesterday, to make every effort to facilitate peace negotiations,” Fidan told in his opening remarks on the war.
“At the same time, we continue our work to re-establish navigation security in the Black Sea and ensure safe grain trade,” added the minister.
