Türkiye's FM, US secretary of state discuss bilateral ties, regional issues
ANKARA
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday discussed bilateral ties and regional issues, including Syria, Gaza, and Ukraine, said Turkish diplomatic sources.
In a phone call, Fidan underlined the importance of lifting sanctions on Syria for the country's stability and prosperity.
The release of Israeli U.S. citizen Edan Alexander by Hamas and the planned peace talks between Russia and Ukraine were also addressed in the phone call.
The peace talks are scheduled to take place in Istanbul, Türkiye, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky indicating acceptance of Moscow's proposal to resume negotiations.
Details of Rubio’s upcoming visit to Türkiye on the occasion of the Informal NATO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting to be held in Antalya on May 14–15 were also discussed, according to the sources.
Meanwhile, Fidan and his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot on Monday discussed the planned peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
In a phone call, Fidan and Barrot reviewed efforts to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, said Turkish diplomatic sources.
The peace talks are scheduled to take place in Istanbul, Türkiye, with Zelensky indicating acceptance of Moscow's proposal to resume negotiations.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan welcomed his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin's support for restarting the process from where it had paused in Istanbul, reaffirming Türkiye’s commitment to peace efforts.
Fidan talks with Lavrov
Fidan on Monday evening also had a phone call with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.
Fidan and Lavrov discussed the latest efforts to establish peace between Russia and Ukraine, according to Turkish Foreign Ministry sources.
The call comes on the eve of a meeting of the Russian and Ukrainian sides in Istanbul this Thursday for the first peace talks between the two countries in over three years.
