Türkiye's foreign minister to visit Qatar for talks on Iran war

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will visit Qatar on Tuesday for talks on the Iran war, its impact on the Gulf and efforts ⁠to ensure navigational safety ⁠in the Strait of Hormuz, a Turkish diplomatic source said on Monday.

NATO member Türkiye, which neighbors Iran, has been ⁠in close contact with the United States, Iran and mediator Pakistan since the start of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. It has called for an end to the conflict, while condemning attacks on Iran and criticizing Tehran's strikes on Gulf states as unacceptable.

Fidan, who last visited Doha in March and held ⁠two ⁠separate calls with Iran's foreign minister over the weekend, will repeat Türkiye's support for its ally Qatar against attacks from Iran, the source said.

He will voice Ankara's expectation for navigational safety to be ensured on the Strait of Hormuz and point to the ⁠critical need of doing so for regional security and economic stability, the source said.

Fidan is expected to "state that permanently resolving the conflict in the Gulf is the most urgent priority and exchange views on diplomatic initiatives to achieve this," the ⁠source added.

Ankara ‌and Doha ‌have strong ties and cooperate ⁠on a wide range of ‌issues, from energy to defense. Türkiye has a military base in Qatar ⁠and has been in negotiations ⁠with Doha about the procurement of Eurofighter Typhoon ⁠fighter jets, as part of an agreement with Britain.