US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Istanbul today.
The diplomats discussed the ongoing carnage in Gaza, final steps to complete Türkiye’s ratification of Sweden’s NATO bid, as well as U.S. approval for the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Türkiye.
Blinken is also due to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul.
Following his visit to Türkiye, through January 11 Blinken is set to proceed to Greece, Jordan, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the West Bank, and Egypt.
During his regional tour, according to the US State Department, Blinken will stress protecting civilian lives, releasing hostages, delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza, restoring essential services, and preventing the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.
