UPDATE 3 - Türkiye's foreign minister discusses situation in Syria with his global counterparts

ADDS TALKS WITH OTHER LEADERS; CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK AND LEDE

By Anadolu Staff

ANKARA/ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held talks Sunday on the latest developments in Syria with his counterparts from around the globe

Sources said that Fidan and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas spoke by phone about Syria's future after 61 years of Baath Party rule ended Sunday with the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime.

During a phone call with Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, the two highlighted the importance of Syria's territorial integrity and political unity. They also stressed the need to protect religious minorities during Syria's transition. Tajani told journalists.

"We agreed on the importance of maintaining Syria's unity. I reiterated my request that Türkiye do everything in its power to ensure the safety of Italian citizens and the protection of Christians and other minorities,” he said.

Tajani also noted that Ankara is ready to cooperate diplomatically with Rome to ensure stability in the Middle East.

Fidan also spoke by phone with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot about the situation in Syria and Lebanon.

The call emphasized the need for an orderly transition in Syria, urging the international community to assist the Syrian people in preventing further chaos and terrorist organizations from gaining power.

The situation in Lebanon was also discussed during the talks, and the importance of not reflecting negatively on Syrian developments in Lebanon was emphasized.

Fidan also held talks with Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares on the need for efforts to establish peace and stability in Syria and steps that the international community could take in this regard.

Separately, Fidan also held a phone call with his British counterpart David Lammy on recent developments in Syria.

In the call, the two also discussed steps to prevent the situation in the country from having negative consequences at the global and regional levels

In another phone call, Fidan and Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze addressed the recent developments in Syria and potential regional impact.

Fidan also spoke by phone with Czech Foreign Affairs Minister Jan Lipavsky on developments in Syria, during which it was underlined that stability and peace must be established within the framework of Syria's territorial integrity and political unity.

Fidan also held a phone call with Pakistani Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar on Syria.

During their conversation, the importance of continuing the fight against terrorist organizations for a stable and prosperous Syria was underlined.

*Writing by Esra Tekin in Istanbul