Türkiye’s new Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was showered with congratulations over the weekend by his counterparts worldwide on his appointment to the post after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan took his oath in Ankara and unveiled his new Cabinet.
Extending congratulations to Fidan on his appointment, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Twitter that he looks forward to "continuing to work with Turkish Foreign Ministry as valued NATO Allies and partners."
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov wished him "great success in this honorable position," expressing confidence that the bonds of brotherhood and alliance between Azerbaijan and Türkiye would be further strengthened.
In a later phone conversation, Bayramov and Fidan discussed bilateral relations and regional issues, and Bayramov invited Fidan to visit Azerbaijan, according to an Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry statement.
Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu, from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), also extended well wishes to Fidan. He took to Twitter to voice his belief that the two leaders would continue to work with determination to advance their national causes.
Joining in the congratulations, Estonia’s Margus Tsahkna emphasized the alliance between his country and Türkiye. Tsahkna wrote that Türkiye is "our ally, and we are looking forward to working with you."
Catherine Colonna in France said: "See you soon to continue French-Turkish cooperation, peace and regional stability, global issues, and dialogue at NATO." Her message highlighted the importance of the ongoing collaboration between the two nations.
Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office, expressed his gratitude to Fidan for his commitment to establishing lasting peace in the region. He emphasized their close friendship and Ukraine’s strong ties with Türkiye.
"Looking forward to working together and further developing the strategic partnership between our two friendly nations," Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s foreign minister, also wrote.
Similarly, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom congratulated Fidan and expressed his expectation of "good cooperation" between their countries.
Bruno Rodriguez from Cuba was also among Fidan’s counterparts to send congratulations.
"I express cordial congratulations and wishes for success in his new duties to Hakan Fidan on his appointment as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye. I reaffirm the willingness to continue strengthening the bonds of friendship and cooperation between both nations," he wrote on Twitter.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stressed friendly relations between Rome and Ankara and the strategic partnership of the two countries in NATO and the Mediterranean in his message to Fidan.
"We are ready to work together to address global challenges," he said.
Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu, who represented his country at President Erdoğan’s inauguration ceremony on Saturday, said on Twitter: "Congratulations Hakan Fidan for your appointment as Foreign Minister of Türkiye. Looking forward to working together to deepen Romania-Türkiye Strategic Partnership, make the Black Sea peaceful, prosperous resilient and NATO stronger!"
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian also congratulated Fidan on Twitter: "I sincerely congratulate my brother Hakan Fidan for his appointment as the Turkish foreign minister. We had many close meetings. He is a professional and wise diplomat."
India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar congratulated Fidan on his appointment: "Look forward to working for stronger India-Türkiye relations."
‘Cooperation and strengthening ties’
Congratulating Fidan on his appointment, Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said: "I look forward to our cooperation and strengthening ties between the Netherlands and Türkiye in order to address shared challenges."
Similarly, Maltese Foreign Minister Ian Borg, who visited Ankara and attended President Erdoğan’s inauguration ceremony on Saturday, took to Twitter to share a photo taken with Fidan during the ceremony.
He extended his heartfelt congratulations to Türkiye’s new top diplomat and expressed his desire to strengthen cooperation between their countries.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said he looks forward to "working closely with Fidan in taking the Pakistan-Türkiye strategic partnership to ever-greater heights."
His sentiments were echoed by Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, who anticipated "fruitful cooperation" between the two countries.
"Congratulations to Hakan Fidan for his new appointment as Minister of Foreign Affairs, looking forward to our future cooperation confirming our strong Croatia and Türkiye relations," Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman said on Twitter.
Ireland’s Micheal Martin wrote: "Congratulations Hakan Fidan on being appointed as the new Foreign Minister of Türkiye. I look forward to continued strong cooperation on the common challenges our countries face."
Also conveying her congratulations to Fidan, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said: "I count on you & look forward to working with you with the goal to advance Turkish-German relations & to tackle major challenges we are facing as partners in these difficult times."
Expressing his "sincere congratulations" to Fidan on his appointment, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said he looks forward to "continuing the close EU-Turkey partnership and working together."
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly congratulated Fidan on his appointment, adding on Twitter: "Türkiye and the U.K. are tackling terrorist threats and working side by side in NATO. I look forward to working together and deepening our friendship."
Richard Moore, the head of Britain’s foreign intelligence agency (MI6) and former ambassador to Türkiye, also tweeted in Turkish, saying, "I wish my friend and former colleague success in their new position. Congratulations and good luck, Minister!"
Moore, who considers Fidan, a "close friend," suffered a minor mishap on Twitter when he tagged a fake account for the Turkish minister in his message.
"Aw shucks, this is embarrassing, but my sentiments are real even if the account is a parody," Moore later said.
Born in Ankara in 1968, Fidan graduated from the Army Signal School and the Army Language School. He completed a significant part of his academic studies during his service in the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK).
During his overseas NATO assignment, Fidan obtained undergraduate degrees in politics and management science from the University of Maryland, which was followed by masters and doctoral degrees from the International Relations Department at Bilkent University.
After his service in the TSK, Fidan focused on academic life and taught international relations courses at Hacettepe and Bilkent Universities in the Turkish capital of Ankara.
Fidan held critical positions in foreign policy and security in state institutions.
He served as deputy undersecretary for Foreign Policy and Security at the Prime Ministry and Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA). In addition, he was a member of the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency, special representative of the prime minister and special representative of the president.
After briefly acting as its deputy undersecretary, Fidan was promoted in 2010 to the head of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), where he presided over key periods like the reconciliation process with the PKK terrorist group and the aftermath of the July 15 coup attempt.