ANKARA

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League Ministerial Committee will meet Friday in the Turkish southwestern coastal city of Antalya, for a “two-state solution and lasting peace in the Middle East” meeting, according to diplomatic sources.

The Gaza Contact Group meeting, hosted by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, will take place before the Antalya Diplomacy Forum that is set for April 11-13.

The meeting will be attended by foreign ministers from Bahrain, Indonesia, Palestine, Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, marking the first time the ministerial committee will meet in Türkiye, and its 20th overall session.

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, OIC Secretary-General Hussein Ibrahim Taha and representatives from the United Arab Emirates, Nigeria, Ireland, Spain, Norway, Slovenia, China, Russia, and the EU are expected to participate.

Fidan is expected to highlight the worsening situation in the Gaza Strip after Israel broke a ceasefire on March 18, escalating pressure on the West Bank and Jerusalem, and the declining prospects for a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine.

Fidan will emphasize that the committee should intensify efforts toward achieving a lasting ceasefire, the release of hostages and detainees and ensuring full humanitarian access to Gaza. He is expected to reiterate support for Egypt and Qatar’s efforts to mediate a comprehensive agreement.

It is anticipated that he will underline that the two-state solution is the only viable option, allowing Palestinians to live in their homeland and enabling Palestinians and Israelis to live peacefully side by side.

He will also emphasize Türkiye’s unwavering support for efforts to immediately halt the destruction in Gaza, ensure a lasting ceasefire, stop Israel's expansionism in Palestine, Syria and Lebanon, promote Palestinian reconciliation, and maintain the two-state solution at the forefront of the international agenda.

Gaza Contact Group

At a Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit in Riyadh on Nov. 11, 2023, Türkiye, Palestine, Indonesia, Qatar, Egypt, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the OIC, and Arab League secretaries-general were tasked with undertaking international initiatives to achieve lasting and comprehensive peace in Gaza. Subsequently, Bahrain and the UAE joined efforts.

The ministerial committee, also known as the Gaza Contact Group, has carried out initiatives in various centers such as London, Paris, New York, Washington, Ottawa, Brussels, Oslo, Madrid, Cairo, and Amman.

It last met in Cairo on March 23, where Fidan also participated.