Blinken to visit Türkiye, likely to discuss Syria
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) shakes hands with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan during a NATO meeting, Brussels, Belgium, Dec. 4, 2024. (AFP Photo)


U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be in the Turkish capital Ankara on Friday, media outlets reported on Wednesday.

Blinken will meet his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan. The two top diplomats are expected to discuss the situation in Türkiye’s southern neighbor Syria after the ouster of the Assad regime.

He discussed the situation in Syria with his counterparts from Jordan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar and Egypt, the State Department said Tuesday.

Fidan and Blinken held a phone call on Monday. Türkiye will never allow terrorist groups to take advantage of the situation in Syria, Fidan told his U.S. counterpart in the call according to Foreign Ministry sources. Sources said Fidan stressed the importance of Syria's territorial integrity and political unity. Noting that it is important for the international community to support the Syrian people in rebuilding the infrastructure that has been neglected for years, Fidan said that efforts should be made to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid to Syria.