Turkish diplomatic sources have confirmed that Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will participate in the Arab League ministerial meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, in Cairo, marking Turkey’s first participation in 13 years.
According to the Anadolu Agency, Turkey received an invitation to attend the 162nd regular session of the Arab foreign ministers in Cairo. Fidan is expected to deliver a speech at the opening session.
A Turkish source informed Reuters that Fidan’s agenda includes discussions on developments in the Gaza Strip and Turkey’s relations with Arab countries. The invitation reflects Turkey’s “growing interest” in enhancing its regional role and improving ties with Arab League members. The source added that Ankara seeks to deepen institutional relations and cooperation with the Arab world.
The source further mentioned that Turkey’s relations with Arab League members could foster “solutions to regional challenges and future collaborative efforts.”
Middle East Eye, citing a source familiar with Arab League protocols, noted that Turkey’s participation required approval from all member states, including Syria. Despite stalled normalization talks between Turkey and Syria, Damascus appeared to endorse Fidan’s presence at the summit.
The source highlighted Cairo’s key role in facilitating Fidan’s participation, citing recent diplomatic efforts, including Fidan’s meetings with Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit and Arab ambassadors.
As a result, the Arab League has disbanded the committee that previously focused on “Turkish interference in the internal affairs of Arab countries” and removed the topic from the summit’s agenda, the source concluded.
Turkey’s relationship with Arab countries
Turkish-Arab relations have been strained in recent years due to disagreements over various issues, including Syria, Libya, Egypt, Somalia, and the Gulf crisis.
During this period, the Arab League frequently criticized Turkey, with official statements condemning its regional role, particularly its military operations in Syria, Iraq, and Somalia.
In recent years, Turkey has made efforts to bridge gaps with Arab nations, notably the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, successfully normalizing and fully restoring relations with them.
Turkey also expressed willingness to normalize ties with the Syrian regime and initiated direct talks in late 2022, mediated by Russia. However, these negotiations failed to produce results.
Several months ago, Turkey revived this process and expressed readiness to host a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The last time Turkey participated in an Arab League meeting was in September 2011, when Erdoğan, then prime minister, addressed the council ministers in Cairo.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
