Iran’s Araghchi to visit Turkey as Ankara seeks war mediation role
Iran’s top diplomat is expected in Turkey for the OIC talks as the Iran-Israel war dominates the agenda.
ANKARA — Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to travel to Turkey this weekend amid the ongoing war between Israel and Iran, according to a Turkish Foreign Ministry source.
Araghchi is expected to attend a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul on Saturday along with over 40 of his counterparts, the source told journalists on Thursday. Among the other attendees are Saudi Arabia's Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Qatar's Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and Iraq's Fuad Mohammed Hussein.
The ongoing military escalation between the two regional powers is expected to be a top agenda item at the 51st OIC Council of Foreign Ministers summit. With 57 member states, the international body serves as a political and diplomatic arena for the Muslim world.
A special session will also be held to address Israel’s airstrikes against Iran, the source said.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is expected to reaffirm Ankara’s commitment to supporting efforts to prevent further escalation between Iran and Israel, according to the source.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stepped up diplomatic efforts following his condemnation of Israel’s attacks on Iran last week, accusing the Jewish state of provocation. Erdogan has since held two separate phone calls with US President Donald Trump over the weekend to discuss ways to de-escalate the conflict. Following his conversations with Trump, Erdogan also spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday, offering to act as a facilitator for Tehran’s return to nuclear negotiations with the United States.
The Turkish president also discussed the situation with regional leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Whether Fidan and Araghchi will hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit remains unclear.
Prior to Istanbul, Araghchi is set to travel to Geneva to meet with his European counterparts on Friday, Iranian state media outlet IRNA reported on Thursday. He is expected to meet with the foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, France and Germany, IRNA said.
