Türkiye, UK foreign ministers discuss Gaza, Ukraine in first call

Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held his first phone call with newly appointed British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband on Monday to discuss the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, diplomatic sources said.

First contact

Fidan congratulated Miliband on his recent appointment to lead the British Foreign Office, according to Turkish Foreign Ministry sources. The conversation marked the inaugural diplomatic exchange between Ankara and London's new Labour government since Prime Minister Keir Starmer took office following the July 4 general election.

The two ministers reviewed developments across the Middle East with particular attention to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, where Israeli military operations have continued for nearly ten months. They also addressed the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and its implications for regional stability, the sources added.

Conflict resolution efforts

Fidan and Miliband exchanged views on diplomatic initiatives aimed at ending hostilities in both theaters, the sources noted. The discussion covered potential pathways to de-escalation in Gaza and the broader implications of the Ukraine conflict for European and Middle Eastern security architectures.

The call reflects Ankara's continued engagement with Western allies on crisis management while maintaining its diplomatic channels with both warring parties in the Ukraine conflict and its firm stance on Palestinian rights. Miliband, who previously served as Labour Party leader and Energy Secretary, assumed his foreign policy portfolio earlier this month as Starmer reshuffled the British cabinet after defeating the Conservative Party.