Acting US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs John Bass will travel to Ankara this week following a visit to Islamabad, where he will meet with senior government officials, according to a statement from the US Department of State.
Under Secretary Bass will meet with senior officials in the Turkish government to underscore the strength of the United States-Turkey bilateral relationship and to discuss efforts by the United States and Turkey to work together in support of peace and stability in the region, according to the statement.
The statement did not say exactly on which day Bass would arrive in Ankara, but his visit to Islamabad and Ankara will take place between September 14 and 18.
Bass met on Monday with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Chief of Army Staff Gen. Asim Munir in Islamabad, according to another statement from the US Department of State.
The last time he visited Turkey was in April, when he met with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
After that meeting, Bass said the pair discussed the “importance of the safety of civilians and aid workers in Gaza” as well as “support for Ukraine’s democracy and freedom” and “deepening counterterrorism cooperation” between the two countries.
“[Turkey] is a key Ally and partner with whom we communicate and cooperate on the most important regional and global issues,” he wrote on X.
Turkey-US relations took a positive turn after Ankara ratified Sweden’s NATO membership in January, ending its almost two-year-long reservation. The security alliance’s expansion became a top priority in foreign policy discussions following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Following Turkey’s approval of Sweden’s NATO bid, the US approved Turkey’s proposal to buy US F-16 fighter jets.
Bass served as the US ambassador to Turkey between 2014 and 2017.