Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met on Saturday with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, in the presence of Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty. Fidan conveyed the greetings of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and reaffirmed Ankara's commitment to strengthening cooperation with Cairo.

El-Sisi welcomed the tangible progress in bilateral ties, particularly following the February 2024 joint declaration to reactivate the Strategic Cooperation Council. He reiterated Egypt's target of increasing annual trade with Turkey to $15 billion and attracting expanded Turkish investment across sectors such as manufacturing, energy, transport, and tourism. The two sides also confirmed plans to elevate the council's work to the presidential level.

Gaza Solidarity

The talks placed strong emphasis on the situation in Gaza. Both leaders voiced firm opposition to any reimposition of Israeli military occupation on the territory, calling for an immediate ceasefire, unhindered humanitarian aid delivery, the release of prisoners, and an end to the forced displacement of Palestinians.

Fidan further urged Muslim-majority countries to unite in response to "Israel's" actions and called for an emergency meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to coordinate a collective stance. Both sides also commended ongoing mediation efforts by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States aimed at securing a ceasefire and facilitating a prisoner exchange.

The meeting also covered the conflicts in Libya, Syria, and Sudan, with Egypt and Turkey reaffirming their support for the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of these states, along with efforts to achieve lasting peace across the region.

Unified Condemnation

Their shared position on Gaza is consistent with that of the ministerial committee formed by the joint extraordinary Arab-Islamic summit, which includes multiple Arab and Islamic states, the Arab League, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

On Saturday, the committee issued a statement expressing its "strong condemnation and categorical rejection" of "Israel's" declared plan to occupy Gaza City. The condemnation aligns with recent UN warnings describing the move as a "dangerous escalation" and with widespread international criticism, including from the UK, Australia, and Turkey's foreign ministry.

The committee also called for an immediate and comprehensive halt to Israeli military operations and an end to systematic violations against civilians and infrastructure in Gaza, the West Bank, and occupied al-Quds.

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