President Sheikh Mohamed and Turkey's Foreign Minister call for Gaza ceasefire

UAE leader receives Hakan Fidan in Abu Dhabi on Thursday

President Sheikh Mohamed and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan hold talks in Abu Dhabi. Photo: Wam

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President Sheikh Mohamed and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip during talks in Abu Dhabi.

They urged the international community to take decisive action to deliver a "just, comprehensive and lasting peace" in the besieged enclave and to address the worsening humanitarian crisis, state news agency Wam reported.

They also emphasised the importance of pursuing a two-state solution to the crisis during the meeting on Thursday at Qasr Al Shati.

The death toll from the conflict in Gaza stands has passed 34,900, with more than 78,500 injured, the enclave's health authorities said. The war began after Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7 that killed about 1,200.

Sheikh Mohamed and Mr Fidan also explored ways to further bolster ties between their countries. The UAE and Turkey signed a comprehensive economic partnership agreement in March last year in an effort to strengthen trade links.

Mr Fidan conveyed the sympathies of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Sheikh Mohamed after the death of Sheikh Hazza bin Sultan bin Zayed on Thursday.

The meeting at Qasr Al Shati was attended by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court; Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed; Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad, Adviser for Special Affairs at the Ministry of Presidential Court, and Ali Al Shamsi, Secretary General of the Supreme Council for National Security.

Growing ties

Mr Fidan also held talks on Thursday with Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs, during a working dinner in the UAE capital.

They emphasised the importance of securing a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war and limiting the suffering of the Palestinian people.

The robust economic ties between the countries was also high on the agenda. Sheikh Abdullah hailed the steady growth in the volume of non-oil trade between the nations, which increased by 103.7 per cent in 2023.

Turkey's share in the UAE's total foreign trade rose to 5.1 per cent last year, making it the fasting growing among the Emirates' top 10 trading partners.

“This significant development in non-oil trade exchange is the result of the comprehensive economic partnership agreement signed by the two countries on March 3, 2023, which entered into force on September 1 of the same year,” Sheikh Abdullah said.