Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a meeting with U.S. envoy Tom Barrack and is expected to visit the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.
In a statement, envoy Barrack said the U.S. values its strong partnership with Türkiye and remains committed to working with Ankara to advance regional stability and address shared challenges, including ongoing efforts in Syria, following what he described as a productive and candid discussion with Fidan in Ankara.
The visit comes at a busy time for the Middle East, from the expected phase two in the Gaza peace plan, to weeks of public protests in Iran, and to recent violence in Aleppo, Syria.
Meanwhile, Fidan also held a phone call on Tuesday with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Foreign Ministry sources said, adding that recent developments were discussed during the talks.
Fidan has been engaged in discussions about the second phase of the Gaza plan and held a meeting with his Saudi counterpart earlier on Tuesday.
Phase two of the Gaza plan, following phase one, which began last October, is generally expected to start early this year, though no date has been set.
A cease-fire agreement took effect in Gaza on Oct. 10 under U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan, halting two years of Israeli attacks that have killed more than 70,000 victims, mostly women and children, and injured nearly 171,000 since October 2023.
Türkiye has been a staunch critic of Israel, with which it was about to normalize relations before the new round of Palestine-Israel conflict began in 2023. The country cut off trade with Israel and joined other countries to file a lawsuit against “genocide” in Gaza. It also engaged in a diplomatic blitz to secure a cease-fire, though it adheres to its principle that a lasting solution to the conflict is recognition of a sovereign State of Palestine.
