A vast diplomatic forum organized by Turkey opened Friday in Antalya, in the south of the country, welcoming in particular the Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, at a time when Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz "fully open" and Islamabad steps up its efforts to end the war in the Middle East.
"I believe that the window of opportunity opened by the ceasefire must be exploited as best as possible to establish lasting peace," said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the opening of the Diplomatic Forum, which is being held for three days in the Mediterranean seaside resort of Antalya, in the south of the country.
“Whatever the depths of the disagreements, we must not let weapons replace words,” said Mr. Erdogan, who spoke before Iran's announcement of the opening of the Strait of Hormuz as long as the truce in the Middle East lasts.
“We must remain vigilant and ready to counter Israel's attempts to sabotage the negotiation process,” added the Turkish head of state without commenting on the latest ceasefire concluded between Israel and Lebanon.
A meeting between the heads of diplomacy of Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia for "discussions on the development of regional solutions to regional problems, particularly regarding the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran" is planned for Friday evening on the sidelines of the forum, according to a source from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
A Pakistani diplomatic source told AFP that the meeting was planned "for the night" of Friday.
The annual Antalya forum comes as Pakistan increases its mediation efforts with a view to a new round of talks between Washington and Tehran to end the war launched on March 28 by the United States and Israel.
The chief of staff of the Pakistani army met high-level negotiators in Tehran on Thursday and Mr. Sharif, who arrived in Antalya on Thursday, met this week with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani in the part of a regional tour.
Mr Erdogan will meet Mr Sharif on the sidelines of the forum.
The war and the virtual blockade until now of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic passageway, should be at the heart of the discussions. The date and time of this meeting have not yet been communicated.
Initial talks between Iran and the United States in Pakistan ended in failure on Sunday without leading to a breakdown of the two-week ceasefire put in place on April 8.
Turkey also wants to contribute to the stabilization process.
Concerning the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic maritime route, its access should not be restricted, affirmed the Turkish president.
"Iran borders the Strait of Hormuz, while Oman is also there. The right
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