Türkiye, US to hold talks on ties, regional issues
ANKARA
Senior Turkish and American officials will meet in the Turkish capital to discuss joint efforts to improve bilateral ties and discuss regional issues, including the situation in Gaza and Russia’s occupation of Ukraine.
Under Secretary of State Department John Bass will be in Ankara on April 15 and 16, the State Department has announced.
“While in Ankara, Under Secretary Bass will meet with senior Turkish government officials to build on the momentum of the successful March 7-8 meeting of the U.S.-Türkiye Strategic Mechanism in Washington, led by Secretary [Antony] Blinken and Foreign Minister [Hakan] Fidan, and continue cooperation on key bilateral and global issues, including the conflict and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Ukraine and preparations for the NATO Summit in Washington this summer,” read the statement.
“The Under Secretary will also discuss opportunities to expand the trade and investment ties that connect and benefit the people of both of our countries,” it added. John Bass served as the U.S. ambassador to Türkiye between 2014 and 2017.
Türkiye and the U.S. have recently intensified political dialogue for improving the bilateral ties after a few years of tension. Fidan and Blinken led the Strategic Mechanism meeting in March and agreed to deepen ties through cooperation in various fields, including economy, trade, energy, etc.
They also discussed a potential visit by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to the White House to hold talks with U.S. President Joe Biden. The visit is expected to take place on May 9.
The Turkish-American consultations will also cover regional conflicts, particularly the recent escalation by Iran, in retaliation against Israel. Ankara has long been urging Washington for an immediate ceasefire to stop the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza and prevent the spread of the conflict to the Middle East.
Efforts to end the war in Ukraine and avoiding a worldwide food crisis will also be on the agenda of the Turkish and American diplomats.