Fidan discusses Palestine recognition with Gulf counterparts

ANKARA

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has held separate phone calls with his counterparts from Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman to coordinate efforts for wider recognition of a Palestinian state, diplomatic sources said on Sept. 2.

In his conversation with Qatar’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the ministers exchanged views on joint initiatives aimed at increasing the number of countries recognizing Palestine and assessed the latest developments in Gaza ceasefire talks.

Fidan also spoke with Saudi Arabia’s Prince Faisal bin Farhan, focusing on preparations for a Sept. 22 meeting in New York on Palestinian recognition and discussing humanitarian aid efforts for Gaza.

In a separate call, Fidan and Oman’s Sayyid Badr Al Busaidi addressed bilateral ties while pledging coordinated steps to support Palestine and improve conditions in the blockaded enclave.

The diplomatic push came as Belgium on Sept. 2 became the latest Western country to announce it would recognize a Palestinian state at the upcoming U.N. General Assembly, joining recent declarations by Australia, Canada and France.

About 144 of the U.N.’s 193 member states already recognize Palestine, including most of the global south as well as Russia, China and India. Palestinians seek an independent state in the occupied West Bank, annexed east Jerusalem and Gaza.