Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will host high-level diplomatic meetings in Istanbul on Friday. The talks bring together representatives from the R4 mechanism of Türkiye, Egypt, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia alongside the European E3 nations of the UK, Germany, and France. The nations will gather in a combined format for the first time.
Turkish Foreign Ministry sources confirmed the attendance of several high-ranking officials. German Foreign Minister Johann David Wadephul, UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot will participate. They join Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Pakistan Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan.
This seven-country gathering in the combined R4 plus E3 format takes place at Türkiye’s own initiative. Discussions focus on key regional challenges, including the Palestinian question, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, developments in Yemen, and diplomatic efforts to resolve the Russia-Ukraine war.
Participants are expected to explore new avenues for cooperation and coordination between the R4 and E3 groups. Fidan plans to emphasize that regional security demands regional countries take primary responsibility, pointing to Türkiye’s focus on strengthening cooperation mechanisms based on regional ownership.
Fidan is scheduled to warn that existing disputes must not fuel one another. He will stress that conflicts must not spread to new areas and regional tensions must not escalate into broader instability, while addressing the primary causes of tensions in the Middle East.
According to expected remarks, Fidan will state that Israel’s ongoing occupation of Palestinian territories is a root cause of instability. He will point to its uncompromising stance against international peace efforts and its regional aggression as central drivers of Middle East friction. Regarding the US and Iran, he will reiterate that disputes can only be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue rather than military methods.
Fidan will address recent Houthi attacks targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, and he is expected to reaffirm Turkish support for safeguarding Saudi security. He will also highlight the collective security approach of the new Mecca Defense Alliance, formed in August between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan.
Discussions touch upon Syria, with Fidan acknowledging the contributions of R4 and E3 countries toward stability and prosperity. He will draw attention to Israel’s continued actions aimed at destabilizing Syria. On the Russia-Ukraine war, Fidan will outline Türkiye’s warnings and proposals as a Black Sea littoral state aimed at preventing the conflict from spreading and ending civilian casualties.
The R4 mechanism was established by Türkiye, Egypt, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia to support lasting stability and regional dialogue. The E3 mechanism comprises Germany, the UK, and France. It originated from trilateral diplomatic cooperation on Iran’s nuclear program in 2003 and has since evolved into a broader framework for joint international initiatives.
