Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan asked his US counterpart Antony Blinken in a call on Sunday for Washington to use its influence over Israel to halt Israeli attacks on Gaza and the West Bank, a Turkish diplomatic source said.
Fidan told Blinken that the situation in Gaza and the West Bank was worsening due to the Israeli attacks, the source said. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told US President Joe Biden on Thursday that the United States had a historic responsibility to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza.
“Fidan emphasized the need for Israel to be made to sit at the (negotiating) table after a full ceasefire is achieved, in order to start a process aimed at realizing a fair and lasting peace based on a two-state solution,” the source added.
The source said Fidan and Blinken also discussed bilateral ties, Sweden’s NATO membership bid, which the Turkish parliament is yet to ratify, and Ankara’s request to purchase F-16 fighter jets from the United States.
“During the call, in which the importance of acting in line with the spirit of alliance was emphasized, Sweden’s NATO bid, the F-16 issue and cooperation on defense industry were among issues over which views were exchanged,” the source said, adding the call was held at Blinken’s request.
Source: Asharq Al-Awsat
