Turkish FM, NATO chief meet ahead of informal meeting of alliance's top diplomats

ANKARA

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte met on Tuesday ahead of an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers.

"Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan met with Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General, at a working dinner prior to the Informal Meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs, in Antalya," said the Turkish Foreign Ministry on X.

The ministry provided no further details about the meeting.

Before meeting with Fidan, Rutte was received by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Presidential Complex in Ankara.

A statement issued by the Communications Directorate informed that Erdoğan told Rutte that Türkiye has intensified its efforts to end the war between Russia and Ukraine through a fair and lasting agreement while making clear that it supports a comprehensive ceasefire between the two warring sides.

He also underlined Türkiye’s view that NATO should not be a part of the war between the two countries. Erdoğan also underscored the importance of NATO for Türkiye and highlighted the fact that it will get the command of the alliance mission in Kosovo.

Rutte, for his part, described Türkiye as a "staunch and capable ally" following the meeting with Erdoğan.