U.S. secretary of state arrives in Türkiye to discuss Syria, Gaza

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in the Turkish capital of Ankara on Thursday to meet with Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

Blinken was greeted at the airport by Ambassador Ahmet Cemil Miroğlu, director general of the Turkish Foreign Ministry's Protocol Department; Michael Goldman, charge d'affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Ankara; and several other officials.

Blinken, who visited Jordan before arriving in Türkiye, is expected to meet with Minister Fidan on Friday.

Blinken's visit is expected to focus on the transition process following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria and the country's political process, as well as a possible cease-fire agreement in Gaza, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of State.

Fidan and his U.S. counterpart Blinken discussed the latest developments in Syria over the phone on Dec. 7 and 10.