Newsletters
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke Thursday evening about the ongoing peace process to end the Russia-Ukraine war and the worsening situation in Gaza, Turkish diplomatic sources said.
In the phone call, Fidan stressed that Ankara is ready to fulfill its responsibilities in the Moscow-Kyiv peace process.
Moscow and Kyiv held a third round of renewed peace talks on July 23 in Istanbul, where Ukraine proposed a summit between the two presidents before the end of August. The sides also reached consensus on continuing prisoner exchanges. The first two rounds, on May 16 and June 2, had also taken place in Istanbul, reviving negotiations that had stalled since March 2022.
Fidan also emphasized the urgent need to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Last week, the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification confirmed famine in the enclave.
Israel’s military campaign has killed nearly 63,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023, devastating the strip and leaving it in famine.
The two ministers also talked about the situation in Syria and bilateral relations.
Since the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, Syria’s new administration has launched political and economic reforms and sought broader cooperation with regional and international partners. Assad, Syria’s regime leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia in December, ending Ba’ath Party rule that had lasted since 1963. A transitional administration led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa was formed in January.
3 min read
