A Turkish diplomatic source indicated on Tuesday that "the Foreign Minister will visit the United States on March 7 and 8 for discussions regarding the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, as well as in the fields of defense and energy, amid improving relations between the two countries following an agreement for the supply of fighter jets and cooperation within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)." The source stated: "The visit of Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, which comes at the invitation of his American counterpart Antony Blinken, will see a meeting of what is called the 'strategic mechanism' that the leaders of the two countries decided to establish in 2021, focusing on bilateral cooperation." It is also expected that Fidan will hold talks with White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
The source added that "the discussion will also include lifting sanctions on the Turkish defense industry and the sale of F-16 aircraft, the Black Sea grain agreement, as well as conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza." The source mentioned that Fidan "will address the necessity of halting the massacre being conducted by Israel in Gaza and the immediate and complete ceasefire in the region, along with taking action towards a two-state solution according to international standards." Relations between the two NATO member countries have been strained for years due to several issues, including Turkey's purchase of Russian missile defense systems (S-400) and U.S. support for a Kurdish militia in Syria that Ankara considers a "terrorist group."
