Turkish Foreign Minister joins Cairo talks on Libya with Egypt, Saudi Arabia

Cairo quadrilateral meeting

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan joined a high-level quadrilateral meeting in the Egyptian capital on Saturday with senior diplomats from Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United States to discuss the evolving situation in Libya and broader regional challenges, according to an announcement from the Turkish Foreign Ministry. The gathering brought together Fidan, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, and Massad Boulos, who serves as the US senior advisor for Arab and African affairs, the ministry confirmed in a post on the social media platform X.

While officials did not disclose specific outcomes or policy agreements reached during the closed-door sessions, the meeting represented a rare convergence of Turkish, Egyptian, Saudi and American diplomatic leadership on North African security matters. The ministry's statement offered no further details regarding the substance of the discussions or any joint declarations issued following the summit.

Focus on Libyan stability

The diplomats addressed developments in Libya, a nation that has experienced prolonged political fragmentation and intermittent conflict since the 2011 uprising, though specific agenda items remained undisclosed. Ankara has maintained active diplomatic engagement in the North African country, supporting the United Nations-backed political process while opposing the forces of eastern commander Khalifa Haftar, who controls significant territory in the east.

Saturday's gathering marked another effort by regional powers to coordinate their positions amid ongoing political deadlock between rival administrations in Tripoli and Benghazi. The participation of both Turkish and Egyptian officials was particularly notable given the complex history of their respective involvements in Libyan affairs.

Regional rapprochement

The Cairo meeting comes amid ongoing Turkish efforts to expand diplomatic cooperation with Egypt and Saudi Arabia following years of strained relations over regional flashpoints. Ankara and Cairo normalized ties in 2023 after a decade of discord, while Türkiye has sought to strengthen economic and security partnerships with Riyadh under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's leadership.

Fidan's participation alongside Egyptian and Saudi ministers underscores Türkiye's strategic priority of multilateral cooperation on regional stability. The gathering reflects Ankara's broader foreign policy pivot toward reconciliation with former rivals and active engagement in Middle East and North African diplomacy.