US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken arrived in Turkey today to try to calm the anger of one of Washington’s most difficult allies amid the war in Gaza.
This is Blinken’s first visit to Turkey since Israel began its war against Hamasfollowing the October 7 attack by militants of the Islamist Palestinian movement, comes as anger against Israel and the West is felt on the streets of Turkey and inside the palace of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Turkish police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse hundreds of protesters who gathered yesterday, Sunday, in front of an air base that hosts US forces in southeastern Turkey.
President Erdogan, for his part, chose to travel to a remote region of northeastern Turkey today, a decision that looks like an insult aimed at Blinken.
The head of American diplomacy is thus going to meet with his Turkish counterpart, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, to discuss the war between Israel and Hamas.
Blinken’s talks with Fidan were expected to be difficult even before Israel launched relentless bombing and a ground campaign aimed at eliminating Hamas from Gaza.
At least 9,770 people have been killed, half of them children, according to the Hamas government, in devastating Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip since the start of the Israeli offensive.
The operation began after Hamas militants killed more than 1,400 people and took more than 240 hostages., according to Israeli authorities, which they transported into the Gaza Strip which they control. It is the deadliest attack in Israel’s history.
This war threatens to have a significant impact on relations between Washington and Turkey, which is a member of NATO and at the same time involved in conflicts in the Middle East.
Washington is also looking forward to seeing the Turkish parliament give the green light for Sweden’s NATO membership.
The US has also strengthened sanctions against individuals and businesses in Turkey suspected of helping Russia evade sanctions and import equipment it is using in its war against Ukraine.
Source: News Beast
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