Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the cease-fire in Gaza and the situation in Syria as they held their first face-to-face meeting on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Friday.
Emphasizing the importance of a lasting cease-fire in Gaza, Fidan stated that resolving the Israel-Palestine conflict is essential for regional peace, a foreign ministry source said.
The discussion also extensively covered potential developments regarding the prospect of peace between Ukraine and Russia.
Fidan told Rubio about Türkiye's views on measures that regional countries in the Middle East can take against Daesh, the source said.
The meeting covered trade relations, including the defense industry, and other bilateral issues.
Fidan and Rubio met as Türkiye rejected Trump’s plan to displace more than 2 million Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, claim U.S. control of it and turn it into the "Riviera of the Middle East."
Fidan also held separate meetings with his U.K. counterpart David Lammy and German counterpart Annalena Baerbock on the sidelines of the conference.
In his meeting with Lammy, Fidan highlighted the importance of Syria's political unity and that the Syrian government, which is in charge after the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, should be supported.
He said a permanent truce in Gaza is essential for peace in the region.
In his meeting with Baerbock, Fidan discussed developments regarding the Ukraine war, the security situation in Syria as well as transatlantic relations.
