Turkish foreign minister to visit US

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will visit Washington D.C. for official talks on March 25-26, according to Turkish diplomatic sources on Monday.

Fidan will meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other senior US officials during his visit, the sources said.

This marks the first visit under President Donald Trump's administration and will focus on strengthening Türkiye-US relations, as well as preparing for future high-level visits between the two nations.

The discussions will cover a range of regional issues, including the situations in Ukraine, Palestine, and Syria, with an emphasis on exploring further opportunities for cooperation.

Fidan is expected to convey Ankara's positions on key regional matters, particularly its support for Syria's stability and territorial integrity.

The importance of lifting sanctions on Syria and expanding Türkiye-US cooperation in humanitarian aid and reconstruction efforts will also be discussed. Additionally, the fight against ISIS (Daesh) and the management of camps will be addressed.

The meetings will also focus on strengthening cooperation in combating terrorism, including efforts to dismantle PKK/YPG elements under the "Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)" umbrella and combating the FETO terror group.

Fidan will highlight Türkiye's ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war and its support for US-led ceasefire initiatives, offering to contribute further to those efforts.

The talks will also address the need for greater efforts to achieve a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, facilitate humanitarian aid, and the US using its influence over Israel.

The discussions will touch on the lifting of CAATSA sanctions, Türkiye's return to the F-35 program, and removing barriers to defense industry procurement.

The minister will stress aligning defense industry cooperation with geopolitical realities, with hopes of achieving the $100 billion trade target.