ANKARA, Sept 9 (Askume) – Turkey’s foreign minister will discuss the Gaza war and relations with the Arab League when he attends an Arab League ministerial meeting in Cairo on Tuesday , Turkish diplomatic sources said on Monday, the first such meeting in 13 years.
Turkey has condemned Israel’s war in Gaza against the Palestinian militant group Hamas and in recent years Turkey’s relations with the Arab League have clashed with Israel at the World Court over genocide allegations.
While this eased long-standing tensions with Egypt , the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, AnkaraThere are differences with other Arab League members, including Syria . After the Gaza War broke out, Turkey joined the Joint Contact Group established at a summit of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to end the war.
Turkish sources said the invitation to Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan reflects Turkey’s “growing interest” in improving its regional role and relations with Arab League members. They added that Ankara hopes to strengthen institutional ties and cooperation with the organization.
The source said Turkey’s ties with Arab League members could help “resolve current regional issues and promote concrete cooperation in the future.”
Talks are underway between Ankara and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to ensure a free trade agreement by the end of this year . President Erdogan SaturdayCalled for Islamic countries to form an alliance to counter Israel’s “expansionist” threat.
The last time Turkey attended an Arab League meeting was in 2011 when then-Prime Minister Erdogan addressed the organisation’s ministers in Cairo.
