UPDATE 2 - Turkish foreign minister meets officials from Montenegro, Kosovo, Iceland, Italy, Germany

CHANGE IN HEADLINE, UPDATE WITH MEETING WITH FIDAN'S GERMAN COUNTERPART, HEAD OF UKRAINE'S PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE

By Muhammet Tarhan and Mehmet Sah Yilmaz

ANKARA / MUNICH (AA) – The Turkish foreign minister on Saturday held separate meetings with top officials from Montenegro, Kosovo, Iceland, Germany, Italy and Ukraine at the Munich Security Conference.

According to diplomatic sources, Hakan Fidan discussed bilateral political and economic relations with Montenegro's President Jakov Milatovic.

The duo evaluated the schedule of Milatovic's upcoming visit to Türkiye and the effects of the situation in Ukraine on the Balkans.

In a separate meeting with Kosovo's Foreign Minister Donika Gervalla-Schwarz, he discussed bilateral economic relations and upcoming high-level state visits.

Fidan also congratulated Kosovo on its national day.

The meeting stressed cooperation in combating the FETO terror group’s structure in Kosovo.

Military issues were also on the agenda, with the Kosovo side expressing satisfaction with Türkiye's activities in the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR).

Fidan was also engaged in discussions with Montenegro's Foreign Minister Filip Ivanovic, focusing on bilateral political and economic relations.

During the meeting, satisfaction was expressed with the Montenegrin government's assistance and support for Turkish businesspeople in the country.

Separately, Fidan and Iceland's Foreign Minister Bjarni Benediktsson discussed NATO’s enlargement process, the situation in Ukraine, and the Gaza Strip.

The Turkish foreign minister was pleased with "the change in Iceland's policy in favor of Palestine on international platforms."

In another meeting between Fidan and Italy's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, Türkiye-EU relations were discussed in detail.

The emphasis was placed on expecting the removal of political obstacles to EU membership negotiations while underscoring the unacceptable treatment of Türkiye compared to other candidate countries.

It was also stressed that the EU should send a stronger message and take concrete steps to put an end to the massacre in the Gaza Strip.

The meeting also included discussions about developments in Libya, as well as an evaluation of joint efforts to achieve long-term peace in the region.

Fidan also met with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock during the framework security conference.

He emphasized to his counterpart the urgent need for action to end the ongoing massacre in Gaza.

He warned that if Israel's massacres continued, social reactions in the region would follow.

During the meeting, both sides agreed that more efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza are necessary.

They also discussed bilateral economic relations.

In the meeting, where NATO-related issues were also discussed, Fidan emphasized the importance of cooperation with Germany in the energy field.

Fidan later met with the head of Ukraine's Presidential Office Andriy Yermak on the sidelines of the conference, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on X.

The annual Munich Security Conference holds high-level debates for the world's most pressing security challenges.

*Writing by Alperen Aktas, Seda Sevencan and Zehra Nur Duz