UPDATE - US secretary of state congratulates Turkish foreign minister on assuming office

ADDS STATE DEPARTMENT STATEMENT

By Busra Nur Cakmak

ANKARA (AA) – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken ​​​​​​​congratulated Hakan Fidan on his appointment as Türkiye’s foreign minister on Thursday over the phone, diplomatic sources said.

Fidan and Blinken discussed Sweden’s bid to join NATO, Türkiye-Armenia and Azerbaijan-Armenia normalization processes, F-16 purchase and modernization, and the Ukrainian grain deal, said the Turkish sources on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to media.

The two top diplomats emphasized their will to contact again as soon as possible to discuss the common agenda issues between Ankara and Washington, they added.

Later, State Department issued a statement regarding the call, Blinken and Fidan discussed regional matters and the importance of the US-Türkiye bilateral relationship, including the longstanding defense cooperation.

"They also highlighted the importance of NATO unity, and Secretary Blinken emphasized the need for Sweden to join the NATO Alliance as soon as possible," said Spokesman Matthew Miller in the statement.

"Secretary Blinken reiterated the importance of the Türkiye-sponsored Black Sea Grain Initiative," said the statement.

Blinken said on Twitter he is looking forward to working with his counterpart.

"I had a welcome first call with new Turkish Foreign Minister @HakanFidan and congratulated him on his recent appointment. Looking forward to working with our bilateral partner and @NATO Ally as we prepare for Vilnius," Blinken tweeted.

Appointed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday after May elections, Fidan formerly had served as chief of the National Intelligence Organization since 2010.

He took charge of the Foreign Ministry from his predecessor Mevlut Cavusoglu on Monday.

*Servet Gunerigok in Washington contributed to the story