U.S. requests Turkish support for peace in South Caucasus

The United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has requested Turkiye’s support for peace in the South Caucasus during his meeting with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan in Washington, D.C.

Rubio and Fidan discussed “cooperation on key issues in security and trade,” the U.S. State Department said in a readout. “The Secretary requested Türkiye’s support for peace in Ukraine and the South Caucasus,” it added.

“He appreciated Turkiye’s leadership in the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS and reiterated the need for close cooperation to support a stable, unified, peaceful Syria that is neither a base for international terrorism nor a pathway for destabilizing Iranian activities.  The Secretary also noted recent advancements in bilateral trade and encouraged even greater economic partnership moving forward.  Finally, the Secretary expressed concerns regarding recent arrests and protests in Türkiye,” the U.S. State Department said.