Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will travel to Washington on Tuesday for a two-day official visit to meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other officials, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.
This visit marks the first high-level ministerial engagement between Turkey and the US since President Donald Trump took office in January.
Fidan’s visit to the US comes days after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and US President Donald Trump had their first phone conversation on March 16.
Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special representative for the Middle East, described the conversation between the two leaders as “great” and “transformational.”
Following Fidan’s visit, Erdoğan is also expected to be hosted by Trump at the White House.
According to media reports the main agenda items of Fidan’s meetings in Washington will include US-Turkey relations, the latest situation in Syria, peace efforts in the Russia-Ukraine war, a ceasefire in Gaza, F-35 and F-16 fighter jets and Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) sanctions imposed on Turkey.
Fidan is expected to stress the importance of initiating efforts to lift CAATSA sanctions imposed due to Turkey’s acquisition of Russian S-400 air defense missile systems and considering Turkey’s return to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program.
The potential policy shift for the sale of the F-35s depends on the two sides reaching an agreement that would render Turkey’s Russian S-400 missile defense system inoperable.
Turkey was removed from the F-35 program in July 2019 primarily due to its purchase of the Russian S-400 air defense system, a decision that alarmed the US and NATO allies.
The US invoked sanctions under CAATSA against Turkey on December 14, 2020, targeting its Presidency of the Defense Industry (SSB) and its leadership.
Two sources from the US confirmed to Fox Digital News that Trump is considering lifting sanctions on Turkey and selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey following his phone conversation with Erdoğan.
The US president has significant authority to unilaterally lift sanctions on Turkey. Under CAATSA, the president can waive, terminate or impose additional sanctions related to national security concerns.
The process would require only an informational report to relevant congressional committees, which serves as notification without giving Congress the power to challenge the decision.
However, selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey would involve a more complex process requiring approval from both the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Fidan is also expected to talk about the necessity of aligning Turkish-US strategic cooperation with current geopolitical realities and will call for removing barriers affecting defense procurement processes.
Another significant topic during Fidan’s discussions will be Syria, a key regional issue for Turkey.
Sources suggest that Fidan will reaffirm Turkey’s support for Syria’s stability and territorial integrity, advocate specifically for lifting US sanctions that hinder humanitarian aid and reconstruction efforts in Syria and propose enhancing Turkish-US cooperation in these areas.
Discussions will also address the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and improving security management in camps housing ISIL detainees and their families.
Foreign ministry sources indicated that dismantling the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and its Syrian affiliate, the People’s Protection Units (YPG), operating under the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) umbrella, will also be on the agenda.
Additionally, Fidan is expected to highlight Turkey’s readiness to support and contribute to US-led diplomatic initiatives aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war, reinforcing Turkey’s role as a mediator.
The Gaza ceasefire will be another urgent topic. Foreign ministry sources said Fidan is expected to emphasize the importance of the US using its influence over Israel to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, stressing the humanitarian urgency of the issue.