European, Mideast diplomats to meet in Istanbul

Top European diplomats will hold talks in Istanbul on Friday with their counterparts from Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt, following an initiative by Ankara, a Turkish foreign ministry source said.

Foreign ministers from the so-called E3 group Britain, France and Germany will meet their counterparts from the newly formed R4 group to discuss the Palestinian issue, developments in Yemen and the Strait of Hormuz, and efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war, the source said.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will host the meeting, the first to bring together the two groups.

The seven countries will meet for the first time in the R4+E3 format at Turkiye’s initiative, the source said, adding that they would explore opportunities for practical cooperation and coordination in the coming period.

Fidan was expected to focus on increasing international pressure on Israel over its settlement expansion and what the source described as its encouragement of settler terrorism.

He would also express support for Saudi Arabia’s security amid attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels and stress the need to ensure permanent freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Fidan would reiterate Turkiye’s ongoing warnings and proposals to prevent the Russia-Ukraine war from spreading to the Black Sea and to stop civilian deaths there.

The E3 was established more than 20 years ago to coordinate diplomatic efforts over Iran’s nuclear programme.

The R4 was formed this year and brings together Egypt and the signatories to the Makkah Defense Agreement a mutual defence pact established by Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in August.