Top US diplomat due in Türkiye for talks: Ankara
ANKARA
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken will pay a visit to Türkiye to discuss the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Nov. 5, the Turkish diplomatic sources have informed.
The U.S. State Department has not yet confirmed Blinken’s visit to Türkiye and the secretary’s statement about his week-long travel did not include Ankara. Blinken’s announced itinerary includes Israel and Jordan on Nov. 3 and 4, before he is set to depart for Japan, Korea and India. It is expected that Blinken will arrive in Ankara for a short stay following his talks in Jordan.
Blinken and Fidan held frequent telephone conversations since the crisis in the Middle East started on Oct. 7 following the Hamas attack.
Türkiye has been criticizing the U.S. for not calling for a ceasefire and continuing its political and military support to Israel which is attacking Gaza at the expense of thousands of civilian casualties.
In Türkiye, the two ministers are also expected to review the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine as well as the ratification of Sweden’s accession protocol to NATO. The Turkish Parliament is set to discuss and vote on it in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, U.S. Counselor of the Department of State Derek Chollet will also travel to the region in the coming days with Türkiye being one of his stops. A statement by the State Department said, “He will engage with partners and allies to continue our work to prevent the conflict from spreading to other parts of the region, help secure the release of all hostages, including U.S. citizens, and discuss efforts to assist U.S. citizens while ensuring the protection of civilians and the expanded provision of humanitarian assistance into Gaza.”
