Top Turkish, US diplomats discuss bilateral ties, NATO enlargement

Turkiye's Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed a range of issues over the phone on Saturday, including bilateral relations and the enlargement of NATO.

Sweden and Finland formally applied to join NATO last month, a decision spurred by Russia's war on Ukraine that began on Feb. 24.

But Türkiye, a longstanding member of the alliance, has voiced objections to the membership bids, criticizing the countries for tolerating and even supporting the terrorist groups.

Çavuşoğlu and Blinken also discussed the shipment of grains stuck in Ukraine. Türkiye has actively engaged with both Kyiv and Moscow to secure the export of millions of tons of grain from Ukraine and prevent a food shortage of global proportions.

Up to 25 million tons of grain are currently stuck in Ukraine, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who recently said he is seeking a secure corridor for Ukrainian ships to carry it to ease food shortages in regions around the world.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz