Turkish president receives UN high representative, Qatari premier in Istanbul

ISTANBUL/ANKARA

​​​​Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday met with the UN Alliance of Civilizations high representative, the Qatari prime minister, the chief of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, and senior Pakistani officials.

The meeting between Erdogan and UN Alliance of Civilizations High Representative Miguel Angel Moratinos took place in Istanbul following the 51st Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Presidential Advisor on Foreign Policy and Security Akif Cagatay Kilic accompanied Erdogan at the meeting.

Erdogan also received Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani following the OIC session at the Lutfi Kirdar International Convention and Exhibition Center in Istanbul.

The meeting was attended by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, National Intelligence Organization Director Ibrahim Kalin, and Kilic.

Discussions focused on regional developments and bilateral cooperation within the framework of the summit.

According to a statement from the Türkiye's Communications Directorate, Erdogan has been engaged in intense diplomatic efforts in the aftermath of Israel's attacks on Iran.

He said the countries in the region cannot afford another war, emphasizing the importance of keeping Syria and Iraq out of these conflicts, as well as the need to de-escalate tensions and create space for diplomacy.

He stressed that while stopping Israel and returning to negotiations to resolve the nuclear dispute are critical, sustained efforts by regional countries to achieve these goals would be beneficial.

The Turkish leader emphasized that efforts will be intensified to prevent Israel's attacks on Iran from distracting attention from the ongoing genocide in Gaza and that oppressor Netanyahu should not be given this opportunity.

Erdogan separately met with Philippe Lazzarini, the chief of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).

Kilic was also present at the meeting with Lazzarini.

Erdogan also met with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, along with Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir.

The meeting took place at the same venue following the ministerial session of the OIC.

Fidan, Kalin, and Kilic were also present during the talks with the Pakistani officials.

Erdogan expressed his satisfaction with the momentum brought to bilateral relations by the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council between Türkiye and Pakistan, saying efforts to implement the decisions made are ongoing, according to the directorate.

He said the risks posed by Israel's attacks on Iran are significant enough to affect both Türkiye and Pakistan as Iran's neighbors, and that resuming diplomatic negotiations between Washington and Tehran is viewed as the only way to resolve the nuclear dispute.

Türkiye will continue to work to restore calm and reach a diplomatic resolution, he added.