Newsletters
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a series of bilateral and multilateral meetings in Brussels on Tuesday, engaging with NATO leadership and counterparts from five allied nations on urgent regional security challenges ranging from the wars in Ukraine and Gaza to Black Sea stability.
The diplomatic consultations took place on the sidelines of a NATO foreign ministers gathering at alliance headquarters, where Fidan met separately with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, as well as the foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Belgium, and Canada.
Fidan's discussions with Rutte centered on diplomatic efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, along with security concerns in the Black Sea region, according to Turkish diplomatic sources. The talks come as international attempts to broker a peace settlement in Ukraine have gained renewed momentum in recent months.
In his meeting with UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, Fidan addressed multiple conflict zones including Gaza, Ukraine, Syria, and Lebanon. The Turkish minister emphasized that international pressure should be applied on Israel to ensure the Gaza ceasefire remains sustainable and to facilitate the entry of desperately needed humanitarian assistance into the Palestinian territory.
Fidan also stressed the importance of achieving what he described as "a fair and lasting solution" to end the Russia-Ukraine war, though diplomatic sources provided no additional details on specific proposals or initiatives discussed.
The foreign minister held additional talks with Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel, Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot, and Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand, though Turkish officials did not disclose the substance of those conversations. Fidan also met with Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, but no information about their discussion was released.
Beyond the bilateral sessions, Fidan participated in a trilateral meeting with his Bulgarian and Romanian counterparts, Georg Georgiev and Oana Toiu. The three NATO member states, all of which border the Black Sea, focused their talks on maritime security in the strategically vital waterway.
The ministers underscored the critical importance of maintaining free trade flows and protecting sea lines of communication and critical infrastructure in the Black Sea, which has become increasingly contested since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. They emphasized that freedom of navigation and adherence to international legal norms must be preserved in the region.
The three countries also highlighted the need for careful implementation of the Montreux Convention, the 1936 treaty that regulates naval passage through Türkiye's Bosporus and Dardanelles straits connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. The convention has taken on renewed significance as NATO and Russian vessels navigate the strategic waterways during the Ukraine conflict.
The ministers expressed their commitment to working in solidarity "to ensure that the Black Sea remains a sea of peace, stability, and cooperation," according to diplomatic sources.
The trilateral meeting also addressed preparations for the upcoming NATO summit scheduled for July 7-8, 2026, in Ankara. The gathering will mark a significant diplomatic moment for Türkiye as it hosts alliance leaders in its capital.
Discussions additionally covered contributions from Türkiye's defense industry to NATO member states, reflecting Ankara's growing role as a major producer of military equipment including armed drones that have been supplied to Ukraine and other allies.
1 min read
5 min read
