Turkiye links Israel’s inclusion in regional bloc to Palestinian statehood

Turkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has linked Israel's potential inclusion in a regional cooperative platform to its recognition of a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders. Fidan suggested that if this issue is resolved, regional countries could significantly assist Israel's security.

Fidan outlined that such a platform could encompass Pakistan, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, other Gulf nations, and possibly Iran once regional stability improves. He stressed that all countries in the region must commit to each other's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and security. These remarks were made in an interview with Nikkei Asia, as Turkiye prepares to host a NATO summit in July.

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If that problem is solved, I think the security of Israel will be very much assisted by the regional countries, too.

Fidan's comments emerge as former US President Donald Trump has promoted expanding the Abraham Accords, urging countries, including Turkiye and Egypt, to sign onto normalization deals with Israel. Meanwhile, the conflict in Gaza continues, with the Palestinian Health Ministry reporting that the death toll has risen to 72,938 since October 7, 2023. The ministry also noted that seven more deaths were recorded in the past 24 hours, with 25 individuals wounded.

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All the countries in the region should be committing to each other’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and security.