Fidan: The establishment of an independent Palestinian state is the condition for lasting peace
Hakan Fidan, Turkey’s Foreign Minister, at the Seventh Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Baku, the capital of the Republic of Azerbaijan, emphasized the necessity of supporting the rights of Palestinians and establishing an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, calling it the condition for achieving lasting peace.
Fidan, who attended the summit on behalf of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, criticized Israel’s policies against Palestinians and stated that CICA members must take a firm stance against violations of the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people.
He added: A sustainable solution requires the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Turkey’s Foreign Minister also pointed to the importance of strengthening economic and security cooperation in Asia and outlined four priorities: developing the Trans-Caspian Middle Corridor, implementing the “Development Road” project to connect the Gulf to Europe via Iraq and Turkey, increasing coordination among regional organizations, and expanding cooperation in new technologies and artificial intelligence.
Fidan, emphasizing the need to strengthen mutual trust and multilateralism, supported transforming CICA into a full-fledged international organization and described it as an important platform for enhancing security and prosperity on the Asian continent.
He also noted that Turkey will host the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in November in Antalya, expressing hope that the meeting would become an opportunity to strengthen climate justice and sustainable development.
