Turkish FM to hold talks with U.S. and Syrian officials on Thursday

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that he will hold meetings on Thursday with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Syrian Foreign Minister Assad Hassan al-Shaibani, following an informal gathering of NATO foreign ministers.

Fidan spoke with TRT News before the NATO Informal Foreign Ministers Meeting began on Wednesday in Antalya, News.Az reports citing Anadolu agency.

Fidan said the NATO Informal Foreign Ministers Meeting will discuss preparations for the NATO Leaders Summit, which will be held in The Hague, Netherlands, in June, and that the fact that Türkiye is hosting the meeting adds to the importance of the talks.

One of the main issues on NATO's agenda is the determination of "burden-sharing" ratios, which the US has long opposed, Fidan pointed out, adding that US President Donald Trump has emphasized this issue both during his first and current terms.

He underlined that the European security architecture has also been significantly impacted, adding that both the EU and NATO have developed initiatives and new parameters for their member states.

He said the parameters and limits on defense spending, the lifting of sanctions and restrictions on defense cooperation between the allies, and the resolution of disputed areas are important agenda items.  

Russia-Ukraine war and Gaza genocide on agenda  

Fidan noted that the issue of ending the Russia-Ukraine war will also be on the agenda, adding, "In addition, as Türkiye, we will informally and productively discuss all other issues, especially the war and genocide in Gaza, which are in our neighboring region and directly affect transatlantic security."

Regarding his meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte yesterday, the foreign minister said Rutte was also received by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and that the strategic framework of NATO-Türkiye relations was reiterated during the meeting.

He also met with Rutte over a working dinner, where the strategy outlined with Erdogan was thoroughly discussed, he said.

He said they discussed sensitive aspects of the alliance's common issues for Türkiye, NATO-Türkiye relations, and ties between NATO member countries and Türkiye.

"There are some issues that the NATO secretary general should be aware of and intervene in himself. We were allowed to explain them one by one. So, how will we follow these issues together? Which leader will we follow, and how will we discuss them? We also came to a general agreement on this issue. In short, it was an extremely productive meeting."   

News.Az