Blinken heads to Greece after Turkey trip, aiming to 'not expand conflict in region' News

U.S. Secretary of State arrives Antony Blinken The trip to Greece is part of his trip to the region, which will last about a week, during which he aims to ensure “conflicts do not expand” in the region as… Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip.

Blinken said after meeting Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Chania, Crete, “We have to make sure that the conflict in the region does not expand… One of the real concerns is between Israel and Lebanon border between us and we want to do everything possible to ensure that the situation does not escalate.”

In a press statement issued after arriving in Greece, the US Secretary of State said that the United States is discussing with its allies how to protect Greek civilians. Gaza Strip He added that as Israel's aggression against the Gaza Strip continues, he wants to ensure that countries in the region use existing relationships to ensure the conflict does not escalate.

Blinken arrives in Greece from Türkiye– That Ankara It is prepared to use its relationships with key parties in the region to defuse conflicts.

“It is very important for the Israelis to ensure the security of the north,” he stressed, referring to the mutual bombardment between the two countries. Hezbollah And Israel.

Meet Erdogan

Blinken meets with president during visit to Türkiye Recep Tayyip ErdoganThey had a lengthy meeting that lasted more than an hour.

Turkey's foreign ministry said in a statement that the president's meeting with Blinken discussed the situation in Gaza and Sweden's process of joining NATO (NATO).

The statement confirmed that Blinken emphasized in his conversation with Erdogan “the need to prevent the expansion of the conflict, increase humanitarian assistance, reduce civilian casualties, strive to achieve lasting regional peace, and move towards the establishment of a Palestinian state.”

The U.S. minister called on President Erdogan to “complete Sweden's membership of NATO,” according to a Turkish Foreign Ministry statement.

Bracken begins a tour of the region on Friday and will visit Israel and…Jordan andoccupied west bank andQatar Discuss how to avoid an expansion of the conflict in Gaza three months after Israel invaded Gaza and push for more aid to the Gaza Strip.

Bloomberg News quoted a senior U.S. official accompanying Blinken on the trip as saying that Washington is seeking to mobilize Ankara to support what it calls a “post-war Gaza governance plan.”

A U.S. official said Blinken will call on countries in the region to use established communication channels with Iran to send a message that Iran does not seek escalation but will be content to defend its interests if attacked, Reuters reported. said on the condition of anonymity.