Iranian President to Visit Turkey on January 4

A Turkish official indicated today, Tuesday, that "Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will visit Ankara on January 4 to meet with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan and conduct discussions likely focused on the situations in Gaza and Syria, as well as bilateral relations." The official mentioned that "the visit, which was initially scheduled for late November, was postponed due to a scheduling conflict between the foreign ministers of both countries." At that time, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was in New York participating in a "contact group" of Islamic countries regarding Gaza. Turkey has strongly criticized Israel for its attacks on Gaza and calls for an immediate ceasefire. It also states that Israeli leaders should be held accountable before international courts for committing war crimes.