ISTANBUL — U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, in a recent dialogue with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, urged Turkey’s support for establishing peace in Ukraine. This discussion marked their first in-person meeting, as confirmed by the State Department on Tuesday.
Fidan’s visit to Washington, which spans two days, aims to mend the tense relations between Turkey and the United States, a friction that has intensified during Joe Biden’s presidency. The visit is in the wake of a significant phone conversation between the presidents of the two nations, described as “transformational” by Donald Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff.
Turkey has managed to maintain strong connections with both Russia and Ukraine amidst the conflict that has persisted for three years, having previously proposed to mediate negotiations. Ankara hosted unsuccessful peace efforts in 2022. Under the Biden administration, Ankara’s continued economic relations with Russia led to several warnings from Washington.
During their meeting, Rubio and Fidan concentrated on creating a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Reports from Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency stated that Turkey has shown support for U.S. initiatives in this regard. Rubio also stressed the importance of enhancing economic collaborations between the NATO allies, as relayed by State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce.
On another note, Fidan hopes to advance discussions on lifting U.S. sanctions imposed on Turkey and exploring possibilities for Turkey to rejoin the F-35 fighter jet program. Turkey had contributed to this program alongside other NATO members until its suspension in 2019. Previously, during Trump’s administration, sanctions were placed on Turkey due to its purchase of Russian S-400 air defense missile systems. Further technical discussions are expected to address these “existing problems,” according to Anadolu reports.
Although diplomatic channels alluded to defense matters, the U.S. statement withheld specifics on these issues. Currently, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is encountering significant protests across the country following the imprisonment of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and other leaders of opposition groups. The State Department’s Bruce relayed that Rubio conveyed “concerns” regarding these arrests and related demonstrations.
Analysts suggest that Trump’s past reluctance to spotlight human rights concerns with U.S. allies may have emboldened President Erdogan’s moves against Imamoglu, who stands as a principal contender to his enduring 22-year leadership. Meanwhile, following the mayor’s recent arrest, Bruce stated the administration’s stance of not commenting on another nation’s internal decisions.
The warmer rapport between the presidents of the U.S. and Turkey, fueled by Trump’s accommodating stance towards Moscow, has nevertheless encouraged improved relations with the White House. “It’s a good country, and its leader is good,” Trump’s comments about Turkey were cited by Anadolu during a reception for Tom Barrack, the new U.S. ambassador to Ankara.
Additionally, discourse between Rubio and Fidan touched upon collaborative measures to stabilize Syria, where Turkey is a pivotal player, alongside advancing peace talks involving neighboring Armenia and Azerbaijan. Throughout the Syrian conflict that lasted 14 years, Ankara backed rebels who opposed the now-overthrown President Bashar Assad’s regime and currently fosters substantial connections with the current Syrian leadership. Ankara has proposed to secure the region and facilitate rebuilding efforts in the war-torn country.
Anadolu conveyed that Fidan highlighted the urgency for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza to foster regional stability. Erdogan’s government has long upheld support for Hamas, labeled as a terrorist group by Israel and Western powers, including the U.S. Erdogan remains a vocal critic of Israeli policies towards Palestinians, often vehemently opposing Israeli military actions.