Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday met Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty during the Ishaq Dar Istanbul visit, on the sidelines of ministerial meetings in the Turkish city, the Foreign Office said.
The meetings took place alongside a session of R-4 foreign ministers and a wider meeting between the R-4 group and European diplomats.
Dar had flown to Istanbul earlier in the day at Fidan’s invitation for the first-ever ministerial meetings in the R-4 and R-4-plus formats, a trip Feature Pakistan covered in Ishaq Dar departs for Istanbul for first R-4 ministerial meeting.
Ishaq Dar Istanbul talks: Turkiye meeting
In a post on X, the Foreign Office said Dar met Fidan ahead of the ministerial meeting and thanked him for hosting. The two discussed bilateral relations and regional developments, particularly the situation in the Middle East and Palestine.
“They expressed concern over threats to regional stability and underscored the importance of dialogue, diplomacy and coordinated efforts to promote regional peace and security,” the FO statement said.
Dar and Fidan also strongly condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and reaffirmed their commitment to close coordination on regional issues, including under the Makkah Defence Agreement. Pakistan has been tracking the Houthi-Saudi escalation closely, including Houthi claims against Saudi defence sites and the Saudi-led coalition’s interceptions of Houthi drones and missiles.
“Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the longstanding bonds of friendship and brotherhood between Pakistan and Turkiye, and to deepening cooperation across all areas of mutual interest, both bilaterally and in multilateral fora,” the FO added.
Meeting with Egypt’s foreign minister
Dar also met Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on the sidelines of the ministerial meeting, where the two exchanged views on regional and international developments.
They discussed the situation in Palestine and the Middle East in particular, and underscored the importance of “sustained dialogue and diplomacy” in addressing the region’s challenges. The two reaffirmed the longstanding ties between their countries and agreed to give greater momentum to cooperation in trade, business-to-business linkages, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, connectivity, renewable energy, defence and people-to-people exchanges.
Dar has been active on the regional circuit in recent days. Earlier this month he met Oman’s foreign minister for regional consultations, as reported in Dar meets Omani FM on regional tensions.
Hormuz and Saudi Arabia top the European agenda
The wider session brings the four R-4 countries together with Britain, France, Germany and Italy, the first meeting of the seven countries in this format. According to the FO, the meetings will focus on key regional developments and explore coordinated diplomatic approaches to advance regional peace and stability.
British Foreign Minister Ed Miliband’s office said the talks would essentially revolve around “the Strait of Hormuz and the situation in Saudi Arabia”. Miliband will advocate a diplomatic solution to the Hormuz crisis that restores full navigational rights and freedoms, and will stress how attacks on Saudi Arabia are destabilising the region and increasing pressure on vital waterways and chokepoints such as Bab el-Mandeb and the Suez Canal.
France confirmed the talks would cover “the Iranian crisis in its various ramifications”, calling it a first in this format against a backdrop of extreme instability.
Fidan is expected to emphasise a diplomatic solution to the US-Iran confrontation, freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb, and Turkiye’s support for Saudi Arabia’s security under the Makkah joint defence pact signed on August 7, which treats an attack on one signatory as an attack on all.
Frequently asked questions
What is the R-4 group?
The R-4 comprises Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye. It emerged in March 2026 and focuses on regional security and mediation efforts, including between the United States and Iran.
Who did Ishaq Dar meet in Istanbul?
Dar met Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty bilaterally, on the sidelines of the R-4 ministerial meeting and a wider session with European foreign ministers.
What will the R-4 plus European talks cover?
According to the British and French foreign ministries, the talks will centre on the Strait of Hormuz, the situation in Saudi Arabia after Houthi attacks, and the Iranian crisis, with an emphasis on diplomatic solutions and freedom of navigation.
