Erdoğan Holds Last Minute Meeting with US Secretary of State Blinken
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a closed-door reception held at Vahdettin Mansion. The meeting was also attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan, Director of the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) İbrahim Kalın, and US Ambassador to Ankara Jeffry Flake. Blinken, who had earlier met with Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan, then held a two-hour meeting with President Erdoğan.
The discussions mainly revolved around the war in Gaza, the humanitarian crisis, Sweden’s NATO accession process, bilateral and regional issues. The Turkey-US diplomatic relations and their cooperation have been noteworthy, as the US Secretary of State visited Turkey for the second time in two months.
Regarding the Fidan – Blinken meeting, diplomatic sources highlighted that Minister Fidan emphasized the importance of finalizing the F-16 procurement process and the decision regarding Sweden’s NATO membership process belonging to the Turkish Grand National Assembly. Additionally, the ongoing human tragedy in Gaza, Israel’s increasing aggression, as well as the need for a ceasefire and uninterrupted humanitarian aid were addressed. Furthermore, Turkey’s stance on the Black Sea tension and ongoing negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, along with regional issues in Syria and Iraq were discussed.
On his social media post after the meeting, Blinken underlined the importance of finalizing Sweden’s NATO membership without further delay.
Blinken’s visit to Turkey was part of his fourth regional tour since the beginning of Israel’s attacks on Gaza. After visiting Turkey, he is expected to continue his tour in Greece, followed by visits and talks in Jordan, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Palestine, and Egypt.
