Turkish foreign minister to participate in NATO meeting in Brussels

By Sumeyye Dilara Dincer

Türkiye's top diplomat Hakan Fidan will travel to Brussels to take part in a two-day meeting of NATO foreign ministers starting on Wednesday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.

The foreign minister will also hold bilateral talks on the sidelines of the meeting, the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

A celebration ceremony will be held during the session, which coincides with the 75th anniversary of NATO's establishment, according to information obtained from diplomatic sources.

The meeting is expected to address issues such as general deterrence, counterterrorism, developments in Ukraine, preparations for the Washington Summit, and the current situation after the inclusion of Sweden and Finland into the alliance.

Fidan will stress that NATO members need to collectively combat terrorism, and will express Türkiye's expectations regarding the fight against the terrorist group PKK and its offshoots, the sources said, adding that he will underline it is unacceptable for some NATO members to have relations with terror groups.

Fidan will also highlight that members imposing sanctions and restrictions on each other in the defense industry goes against the spirit of the alliance, and NATO's security is adversely impacted by such a situation.

He will express Türkiye's views on effectively ensuring the defense and security of Europe.

The sources said the foreign minister is expected to hold bilateral meetings with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, and Bulgarian Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel on the margins of the meeting.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz