Turkish foreign minister to attend preparatory meeting ahead of emergency Arab-Islamic summit

ANKARA/ISTANBUL

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will attend a ministerial-level preparatory meeting in Doha on Sunday ahead of the emergency Arab-Islamic summit in the Qatari capital on Monday, Turkish diplomatic sources said.

The preparatory meeting will focus on a draft resolution to be presented at the emergency summit, which was convened at Qatar’s request following Israel’s Sept. 9 strike on Doha and with the support of Türkiye, the current chair of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers.

Fidan is expected to reaffirm Türkiye’s solidarity with Qatar, accusing Israel of targeting not only peace efforts but also Qatar’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He is also likely to stress that the assault demonstrates Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has no intention of reaching a ceasefire in Gaza.

Fidan, the sources said, plans to underline Türkiye’s longstanding warning that Israeli aggression would not remain confined to the Palestinians, but would expand into a broader regional threat. He is expected to criticize Israel’s attempts to undermine a two-state solution and exploit regional crises for political purposes, urging both regional actors and responsible global powers to coordinate a strong response.

The Turkish diplomat, according to the sources, will highlight recent announcements by several countries of their intent to recognize Palestine, stressing that such momentum should be matched with concrete measures against Israel.

He is likely to call for intensified efforts to secure full UN membership for Palestine and emphasize the urgent need for a permanent ceasefire to end the Israeli’s genocide in Gaza.

The extraordinary summit of heads of state will be the third joint Arab and Islamic summit since Israel began its Gaza war on Oct. 7, 2023. The summit’s agenda will cover Israel’s attacks on Gaza and the West Bank, its occupation and annexation policies, as well as the strike that targeted Hamas leadership in Doha.

The last extraordinary Arab and Islamic summits were held in Riyadh in November 2023 and November 2024.