By Janet Ekstract ISTANBUL- On Tuesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan spoke at a joint press conference in Beijing with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, pointing out an alignment of views between Turkiye and China on a plethora of international issues. This is Fidan’s first trip to China as foreign minister where he will also meet with Vice President Han Zheng and include visits to Urumqi and Kashgar in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.As Fidan said: “We appreciate China’s solidarity with the Palestinians and its strong support for the two-state solution.” Fidan added: “We will continue to work with China for a ceasefire in Gaza, the uninterrupted and safe delivery of humanitarian aid to Gazans and a two-state solution.” Chinese President Xi Jinping previously called for an international peace conference to address the Palestinian situation and Fidan praised the idea. The Turkish FM said the goal for Turkiye and China is to take concrete steps to develop the welfare of their people through mutual respect and a win-win style of cooperation. Wang reiterated how urgent it is to get a ceasefire in Gaza and the necessity of peace and stability in the Middle East.As Wang commented: “We support Middle Eastern countries in solving their own problems through solidarity.” He added: “A ceasefire should be established in Gaza as soon as possible and the humanitarian situation should be improved.” Wang echoed Turkiye’s call for a two-state solution, saying “Strengthening coordination between China and Turkiye will accelerate a permanent, comprehensive and fair solution to the Palestine issue.” This trip, is the highest level Turkish visit to the Uyghur region since Turkish President Erdogan visited in 2012. Erdogan’s trip was viewed as a sign of Turkiye’s concerns about the human rights of Muslims in the Uyghur region which allegedly houses detention camps known as ‘reeducation camps.’ In 2010, Turkiye and China defined their relationship as a “strategic partnership” which has now further developed over the last 14 years. China is Turkiye’s largest commercial partner in Asia and its third largest globally, with bilateral trade volume at over $48 billion in 2023
Photo : AA
