Turkish, US top diplomats discuss Gaza,Caucasus

PRAGUE

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met on the sidelines of an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Prague on Tuesday, discussing the latest situation in Gaza as well as maintaining peace in the Caucasus.

Ministers met "to discuss the importance of increasing humanitarian aid to Gaza and ways to support peace and prosperity in the Caucasus,” a statement on Blinken's X account read.

They discussed efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, including securing the release of hostages as well as the prevention of regional instability.

Fidan is representing Türkiye during the two-day meetings in Czechia, which focused mainly on the preparations for the NATO leaders' summit on the 75th anniversary of the alliance in Washington on July 9 and 11.

Fidan and Blinken also discussed the latest developments in Syria and Ukraine, as well as bilateral relations and alliance issues, before the NATO Summit, according to diplomatic sources.

Regarding conflicts and the tensions in several African nations, the duo exchanged views on possible resolutions, sources said.

Fidan recently accused the U.S. of enabling genocide in Gaza, as Israel continues to commit massacres in Rafah, killing and injuring dozens of displaced Palestinians in safe zones.

Israel launched its military incursion into Rafah in early May despite international objections over the safety of civilians sheltering in the city, and consistently ignored warnings from the U.S., its main military supplier.

However, the White House said Tuesday that so far it had not seen Israel cross President Joe Biden's "red lines."

Fidan was also expected to highlight terrorism in the Prague talks, an issue that Türkiye has been raising on almost all international platforms.

Türkiye is fighting with multiple terror organizations, including the PKK, its Syrian associate YPG, and ISIL. Fidan expected to reiterate its plea to the allies to immediately abandon their partnerships with such terror groups.

Ankara has long called on Washington to end its partnership with the YPG, warning that the terrorists are using U.S. support to divide Syria and establish their own entity in the eastern part of the country.

Türkiye defends the alliance's southern flank, where terrorism is a growing threat, and calls on NATO to prepare a comprehensive defense plan to address all challenges stemming from the alliance's southern borders.