During their meeting, the two top diplomats discussed bilateral relations, including the sale of F-16 fighter jets, and regional issues.

“Discussed many important issues with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu as part of the U.S.-Turkiye Strategic Mechanism. I look forward to continued coordination on NATO’s response to Russia’s unprovoked war against Ukraine, Syria, and other challenges,” Blinken wrote on Twitter.

The Türkiye-U.S. Strategic Mechanism was launched last April following a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US president Joe Biden on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Rome.

In a joint statement released following the U.S.-Turkey Strategic Mechanism meeting, Çavuşoğlu and Blinken reiterated their commitment to a concrete and results-oriented positive bilateral agenda.

“They discussed strengthening the Türkiye-U.S. defense partnership, including the modernization of Türkiye’s F-16 fleet,” the statement said.

According to the statement, two top diplomats discussed ways to bolster NATO coordination and solidarity in the face of current threats and challenges, reaffirming their long-standing commitment to collective defense as Allies, as well as to NATO’s Open Door Policy.

“They discussed the implementation of the trilateral memorandum signed by Finland, Sweden, and Türkiye to advance Finland and Sweden’s application to join the NATO Alliance,” the statement added. (ILKHA)