President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a series of high-level meetings in New York on Tuesday, engaging U.N. chief Antonio Guterres and the leaders of Britain, Qatar and Senegal on conflicts and diplomatic efforts spanning Gaza, Ukraine, Iran and Cyprus.
Erdoğan’s diplomatic meetings came on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, where he earlier delivered an address focusing heavily on Gaza and wider regional and global challenges.
The Turkish president met British Prime Minister Andy Burnham as part of his bilateral engagements in New York. The meeting was held behind closed doors.
Erdoğan also met Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, a close regional partner of Türkiye, as part of his General Assembly contacts. No immediate details of their talks were released.
In a separate meeting at U.N. headquarters, Erdoğan held talks with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on developments in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine and Cyprus.
According to Türkiye’s Communications Directorate, Erdoğan said Ankara had worked closely with Guterres on numerous issues concerning international peace and security during the U.N. chief’s tenure.
Gaza featured prominently in their discussions, with Erdoğan saying Israel’s unwillingness to pursue peace had once again become apparent.
He also raised attacks by illegal settlers in the occupied West Bank and assaults on holy sites in Jerusalem, saying the developments had further aggravated the situation and stressing the importance of preserving the basis for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Erdoğan told Guterres that tensions surrounding Iran and the war in Ukraine should be reduced and said Türkiye would continue supporting diplomatic efforts.
He also said a process emerging from within the region could help address tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.
On the Black Sea, Erdoğan voiced concern about attacks on commercial vessels and called on all parties to act responsibly to protect navigational safety.
The Turkish president also reiterated Ankara’s position on Cyprus, saying proposals that fail to recognize the sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriot people would not produce a viable solution.
The U.N. separately said Erdoğan and Guterres exchanged views on Cyprus, Ukraine and developments across the Middle East.
Erdoğan also met Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye behind closed doors on the sidelines of the General Assembly.
Türkiye and Senegal have expanded political, economic and cultural cooperation in recent years. Ankara opened its embassy in Dakar in 1962, one of Türkiye’s earliest diplomatic missions in Africa, while Senegal established its embassy in Ankara in 2006.
The meetings formed part of Erdoğan’s packed diplomatic schedule in New York as world leaders gathered for the annual U.N. summit amid continuing conflicts and heightened tensions across several regions.