Turkish FM meets U.S. envoy, speaks with Iranian counterpart

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Monday met U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye Tom Barrack, Washington’s special envoy to Syria, diplomatic sources said. Earlier, Fidan spoke by phone with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi.

The Foreign Ministry did not provide details of either exchange, which come amid intensified diplomatic efforts by Ankara to end the ongoing regional war involving Iran, Israel and the U.S.

Fidan met Barrack in Ankara hours after returning from Damascus, where he held trilateral talks on Sunday with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The talks in Damascus, also attended by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, were held behind closed doors.

In subsequent remarks, Zelenskyy said the talks addressed regional security, defence cooperation and the broader implications of the ongoing conflict, now in its sixth week.

Zelenskyy visits Istanbul

A day before the talks in Damascus, Zelenskyy visited Istanbul, where he held closed-door talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

According to a statement from Erdoğan’s office, the Turkish leader told his Ukrainian counterpart that Ankara would continue to support bilateral talks between Russia and Ukraine.

Erdoğan also reportedly stressed the importance of ensuring maritime security in the Black Sea.

Zelenskyy later described the meeting as “productive”, saying both sides had agreed on the need to broaden cooperation across a range of areas, including security.

Despite being a key NATO member, Türkiye has maintained good relations with Moscow, allowing it to play a mediating role in the years-long Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Shortly after the conflict began in early 2022, Istanbul hosted a round of Russia-Ukraine talks, which ultimately failed to produce a ceasefire agreement.

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