Türkiye’s top diplomat discusses Syria at NATO

BRUSSELS

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) speaks with Turkish's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (C) and Britain's Minister of State Stephen Doughty during a NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Oganization) Foreign Ministers' meeting at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, on Dec. 3, 2024.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his NATO counterparts discussed the recent escalation in Syria, where opposition groups seized control of Aleppo, the country’s second-largest city, dealing a big blow to the Assad regime in the 13-year-old civil war.

Fidan attended the NATO foreign ministerial meetings on Dec. 3 and 4 under the leadership of new Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who took the helm of the 32-nation alliance on Oct. 1.

The Turkish minister met German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly and Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares on Dec. 3. Apart from the NATO agenda, the ministers exchanged views on the ongoing escalation in Syria.

In a statement through X, the German Foreign Ministry said Baerbock and Fidan discussed the situation in Syria, adding, “As a key player in the region, Türkiye has a central role in addressing the current crisis. Protecting civilians and minorities must be the top priority.”

At NATO meetings, Fidan informed his counterparts about the multifaceted problems stemming from Syria as one of the sources of the regional instability and demanded support from the allies. He also underscored Türkiye’s commitment to the protection of the territorial integrity and unity of Syria and fighting against terror organizations.

Türkiye says the main reason behind the escalation is the failure of the Assad regime to reconcile with the opposition groups. Damascus has long been blocking U.N. efforts to mediate between the regime and the opposition for a political solution to the civil war under resolution 2254 of the U.N. Security Council.

On Dec. 4, Fidan is scheduled to attend other NATO meetings at the alliance headquarters. He is also scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with some of his counterparts, including Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and British Foreign Minister David Lammy.

He will also join a meeting with Nordic Five with the participation of his colleagues from Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland.

After Brussels, Fidan will go to Malta to attend the foreign ministers’ meeting of the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) between Dec. 5 and 6.