CAIRO, Egypt and Turkiye stressed Saturday that there is a common vision on working to overcome very dangerous humanitarian impacts on Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.
This came in a joint news conference between Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Turkish peer Hakan Fidan at the end of their talks in Cairo, according to the official Egyptian news agency (MENA).
Shoukry stressed the need of fully adherence to the rules of international humanitarian law, and not targeting and exposing civilians to danger from any side.
He indicated that these are “principles and we are adopting a policy based on principles in a way that does not contain any double standards or discrimination”.
The Egyptian top diplomat said the continuation of the Israeli occupation and the lack of political prospects worsen the matter.
“In the past, we witnessed unrest and escalating conflict which turned to military actions due to the failure to grant legitimate rights to the Palestinian people,” he said.
Shoukry elaborated that his talks with his Turkish counterpart discussed many issues of common concern, including achieving stability in the East Mediterranean and making full use of resources, in addition to the situations in Syria, Libya, and water issues.
There is a common desire and interest to work together to achieve the interest of the two countries, he stressed.
Meanwhile, Fidan pointed to the deep-rooted bonds between the two countries, saying that Egypt is a major player in the Arab and Mediterranean regions and works on achieving stability in the region.
He said close cooperation between Egypt and Turkiye in the Mediterranean region is “extremely important” in order to achieve security, stability and prosperity in the Mediterranean basin.
On the developments in the Gaza Strip, Fidan hailed Egypt’s supporting role to Palestinians and its efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza through its border with the besieged Strip.
Egypt and Turkiye share a common position regarding the Palestinian issue, he affirmed.
Fidan elaborated that Turkiye and Egypt believe that the only resolution is the two-state solution, and the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
He called for stopping the killing of civilians by any party.
The Turkish minister stressed need for a mechanism through which Muslim countries help achieve a just and lasting peace for the Palestinians.
On bilateral cooperation, Fidan pointed to upgrading relations between the two countries by appointing two ambassadors.
He said that they are focusing on cooperation and planning to conduct mutual visits, and working to revitalize the meetings of the strategic cooperation council to enhance collaboration in the fields of trade, economy, energy, education, communications, and defense industries.
Source: Kuwait News Agency