Turkish FM holds talks with counterparts at NATO summit
BRUSSELS
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with his British, Finnish, Greek, and Bulgarian counterparts on the sidelines of the NATO foreign ministers' summit in Brussels on Wednesday.
Fidan and British Foreign Minister David Cameron discussed a variety of topics, including the Gaza and Ukraine conflicts, according to diplomatic sources.
According to the sources, both ministers discussed recent developments in Gaza, including methods for delivering humanitarian aid to the besieged enclave, where Israel has been attacking for nearly six months now.
Fidan conveyed Türkiye's views on the importance of recognizing the state of Palestine, as well as the current situation in Ukraine and bilateral defense cooperation.
Fidan also met with Greek Foreign Minister Yorgos Yerapetritis to discuss bilateral and regional issues.
Among the topics discussed were plans for Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' upcoming visit to Türkiye.
Fidan then met with Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen again to discuss counter-terrorism and security cooperation.
They also addressed the implementation of the Türkiye-Finland-Sweden Trilateral Memorandum and assessed the current situation in the war-torn Gaza Strip, emphasizing the importance of resolving the conflict as soon as possible and being concerned about its potential spread to other regions.
On the occasion of Türkiye's 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations with Finland, both leaders expressed a desire to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
Fidan also met with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul to discuss a variety of issues, including Asia-Pacific developments and the Korean Peninsula situation.
Fidan and Cho Tae-yul discussed bilateral cooperation issues based on the "Roadmap for Dynamic Türkiye-Korea Relations" signed in July 2023, with a focus on the defense industry, economy, and energy sectors.
The Turkish minister also met with Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Mariya Gabriel.
NATO foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels for two days to discuss the situation in Ukraine, how to help Kiev, developments in the Indo-Pacific region, the general situation of the alliance after the accession of Sweden and Finland as well as other strategic developments.
On April 4, Fidan continued his bilateral talks with his colleagues from Germany and the Netherlands. He was also scheduled to meet United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the summit.