Turkey, Saudi Arabia set to have further dialogue: Turkish foreign minister

ISTANBUL

In a meeting on Tuesday, Turkey and Saudi Arabia decided to continue talking to each other, said Turkey's foreign minister.

"We had a very open and sincere meeting. We decided to continue our dialogue," Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters after meeting with his Saudi counterpart in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Cavusoglu said he had invited his Saudi counterpart to visit Turkey to continue talks, adding that the necessary work would be done to forge stronger bilateral ties.

On continuing Israeli attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque and Gaza, Cavusoglu said, "We always condemn (attacks) like this, but the ummah is expecting us to take a step," referring to the international Muslim community.

"Such attacks have to stop now. Of course, we need to protect the rights of Palestinians within the framework of international law. We should never veer from the two-state vision."

Stating that steps to be taken for Palestinians in the face of Israeli attacks would be discussed in detail at an Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) foreign ministers meeting next week, he also voiced hope for a decision on the Israeli attacks in an extraordinary meeting of the UN General Assembly.

Turkey will continue its efforts to protect the rights of Palestinians and other oppressed people, he added.

'Turkish-Saudi cooperation will promote peace, prosperity'

Later, on Twitter, Cavusoglu said that Turkey and Saudi Arabia agreed to work on positive issues of agreement and to hold regular consultations.
"Our close cooperation will contribute to stability, peace and prosperity in the region," he added.

Cavusoglu is currently on a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, where he said earlier on Twitter he would discuss "bilateral relations and important regional issues, especially the attacks at the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the oppression against the Palestinian people."

Tensions have been running high in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem since last week when Israeli settlers swarmed in after an Israeli court ordered the evictions of Palestinian families.

Palestinians protesting in solidarity with residents of Sheikh Jarrah have been targeted by Israeli forces.

The death toll from Israeli forces' attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 28, with 152 wounded, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and annexed the entire city in 1980 – a move that has never been recognized by the international community.