Turkish foreign minister, US secretary of state discuss developments in Gaza, Lebanon

By Muhammed Enes Calli

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday discussed the latest developments in Gaza and Lebanon, as both face continued Israeli attacks.

In a phone call, Fidan and Blinken also touched on the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli said on X.

Relations between the Southern Caucasus countries have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

Most of the territory was liberated by Azerbaijan during the war in the fall of 2020, which ended after a Russian-brokered peace agreement opened the door to ongoing normalization and demarcation talks.

Azerbaijan established full sovereignty in Karabakh in September 2023.

Israel has continued its devastating offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023. The onslaught has killed more than 43,000 people and rendered the enclave almost uninhabitable.

The conflict has spread to Lebanon, with Israel launching deadly strikes across the country, which have killed nearly 3,200 people and injured over 14,000 others since last October.