Blinken Adds Turkey Visit to Middle East Trip

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has added a stop in Turkey to his latest Middle East trip, which has thus far included stops in Israel and Jordan. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has urged Israel to halt its attacks in Gaza and implement a cease-fire.

In Ankara on Monday, Blinken plans to underscore the importance of protecting civilian lives in Israel and the Gaza Strip and the need to facilitate increased, sustained delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza. He also plans to discuss Euro-Atlantic security, continuing support for Ukraine, and the need to maintain unity in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, including ratifying Sweden’s accession to the alliance.