As US State
Secretary Antony Blinken continues a challenging Middle East tour, aimed at
easing regional tensions over the Israel-Hamas war, Turkey has asked for an
unconditional ceasefire, Al Jazeera reported.
Blinken met his
Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, for almost two-and-a-half-hours, on Monday in
Ankara, but there was no joint statement, however, according to Al Jazeera they
discussed several issues, particularly the war in Gaza and an exchange of
prisoners between Hamas and Israel.
US tried to
convince Turkey to put more pressure on Hamas and make it release the captives.
But Turkey was firm on its stance, stating that the prisoner release should be
mutual, where Hamas releases captives and Israel releases Palestinian
prisoners.
Turkey also asked
for an unconditional ceasefire and said there should be an international
mechanism to observe the ceasefire, which Ankara would be the guarantor for.
Following their
meeting, prior to boarding the plane, Blinken told reporters that he had a “very
good, lengthy, productive conversation” with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of
Turkey, Hakan Fidan.
“We discussed the
crises in Gaza, including the efforts to significantly expand humanitarian
assistance to people in need… and what we can do to set the conditions for a
durable, sustainable lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians,” he said.
“Turkey has played
a critical role, over the last couple of years…We discussed our work to
strengthen our counter-terrorism partnership to work as well at growing our
economic relationship through trade and investment,” Blinken added.
Secretary Blinken’s
visit to Turkey follows a series of strained meetings with Arab leaders in
Iraq, Palestine, and Jordan over the weekend.
Arab and Muslim
leaders have voiced their frustration over Washington’s unwavering support for
Israel during its month-long assault on Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths
of nearly 10,000 people, including more than a third who are children.
While Washington
has advocated for a “humanitarian pause” in the fighting, it has not fully
endorsed the widespread call for a complete ceasefire.
Blinken’s mission,
his second to the region since the war began, has encountered limited support
for his diplomatic efforts. Israel has resisted US push for a pause in the
hostilities, while Arab and Muslim nations have insisted on an immediate
ceasefire to alleviate the escalating casualties in Gaza, as reported by Al
Jazeera.
Notably, Turkey, a
strategic US ally despite occasional foreign policy disagreements, has been one
of the region’s most vocal critics of Israel, accusing it of acting as a “war
criminal” and committing a “massacre.”
Earlier, Ankara
recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
publicly saying he had “written off” dealing with Benjamin Netanyahu. Erdogan
has also criticised Western powers for their perceived double standards,
highlighting their response to the Ukraine-Russia conflict while remaining
relatively quiet about the loss of innocent lives in Gaza.
During Blinken’s
visit, Turkey’s frustration with Washington was evident. In what seemed like a
snub, President Erdogan chose to travel across northeastern Turkey, leaving
Blinken to meet with the Turkish foreign minister.
Hours before
Blinken’s arrival, hundreds of demonstrators protested outside an airbase
hosting US troop in southeastern Turkey, leading to confrontations with the
police involving tear gas and water canisters.
As the Gaza
conflict continues, President Erdogan has sought to position Turkey as a
mediator to halt the violence and advance the establishment of an independent
Palestinian State.
He said Turkey is “working
behind the scenes” with regional allies to broker a ceasefire and ensure a
continuous flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
“Our priority is
to establish a humanitarian ceasefire quickly,” Erdogan said on Friday, adding
that Turkey was working on “new mechanisms that will guarantee the security of
everyone, regardless of whether they are Muslims, Christians or Jews”.
“Our efforts to
lay the groundwork for an international peace conference continue,” Al Jazeera
quoted Erdogan as saying.
ANI
