UK foreign secretary to visit Türkiye for talks on regional, international issues

ISTANBUL

UK's Foreign Secretary David Cameron will visit Türkiye for talks on Jan. 25-26, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

"During the visit, all aspects of bilateral relations, as well as current regional and international issues will be discussed," a ministry statement said.

Cameron arrived in Israel Tuesday on a regional tour of the occupied Palestinian territories, Qatar, and Türkiye to hold talks with leaders on an urgent humanitarian pause and secure a deal to release the Israeli hostages held in Gaza.

He held crucial talks on Wednesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

According to a UK government statement, Cameron "explained that he wants to see an immediate humanitarian pause to get hostages out and aid in, leading to a sustainable cease-fire without a return to hostilities."

Cameron met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas late Wednesday to discuss the developments in the West Bank and Gaza.

Israel has launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 Hamas attack, killing at least 25,700 Palestinians and injuring 63,740 others. Nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.

The Israeli war has left 85% of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while more than half of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.