Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held meetings with his British, Finnish, Greek and Bulgarian counterparts on the sidelines of a NATO foreign ministers summit in Brussels on Wednesday.
Fidan and British foreign minister David Cameron discussed a wide range of issues, including conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, diplomatic sources said.
According to the sources, both ministers discussed recent developments in Gaza, including ways for humanitarian aid delivery to the besieged enclave where Israel has continued its onslaught for nearly six months now.
Fidan conveyed Türkiye’s views on the importance of recognizing the state of Palestine, and also discussed the current situation regarding the war in Ukraine and bilateral cooperation in the defense industry, the sources said.
Fidan also held similar meetings with his Greek counterpart Giorgos Gerapetritis, Finland's top diplomat Elina Valtonen and Bulgarian foreign minister Mariya Gabriel.
The Turkish foreign minister was expected to stress that NATO members need to combat terrorism collectively and will express Türkiye's expectations regarding the fight against the terrorist group PKK and its offshoots, the sources said, adding that he will underline it is unacceptable for some NATO members to have relations with terror groups. Fidan will also highlight that members imposing sanctions and restrictions on each other in the defense industry goes against the spirit of the alliance and NATO's security is adversely impacted by such a situation. He will express Türkiye's views on effectively ensuring the defense and security of Europe.
