A source from the Turkish Foreign Ministry stated today, Tuesday, that a newly formed group consisting of senior officials from several Islamic countries will visit the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and other nations to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The group was formed earlier this month at the Arab League and Organization of Islamic Cooperation summit in Riyadh and includes foreign ministers and representatives from Turkey, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and the Palestinian Authority, in addition to the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
The source mentioned that the group has begun discussions with the permanent members of the Security Council, which include the United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, and France, having visited Beijing yesterday and planning to visit other countries as well. The primary goal of the contact group is to declare a ceasefire as soon as possible and send humanitarian aid to Gaza. Moreover, the ultimate goal of the group is to contribute to a two-state solution within internationally accepted norms, allowing Palestinians to live in their country in safety, stability, and prosperity.
The source clarified that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan did not participate in the visit to Beijing and will also miss the visit to Moscow today, as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is visiting Algeria.
Additionally, the source stated that a group of 87 Turkish and Turkish Cypriots and their relatives arrived in Egypt from Gaza yesterday and are expected to travel to Istanbul later today. Nearly 200 people evacuated from Gaza, including patients needing medical care and their companions, arrived in Turkey yesterday.
