ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United States Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday received Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Washington DC, discussing Israel-Gaza conflict and Russia’s war on Ukraine.
"The United States and the Turkish delegation reiterated their continued support for efforts to return Israeli hostages and achieve a lasting ceasefire in Gaza," read a statement from the Department of State.
Following two years of conflict, a ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas eventually came into effect last month.
"As Turkey, we see it as our number one priority to ensure that all stages of the peace plan are implemented in a way that benefits everyone, that the genocide is stopped, and that humanitarian aid begins," Fidan told reporters on Tuesday.
Turkey, a strong opponent of Israel’s military actions in Gaza, maintains close relations with Palestinian groups. It has played a pivotal role in mediating the ceasefire, which followed a proposal put forward by the United States and the involvement of several regional countries.
A court in Istanbul on Friday issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and 36 others on charges of crimes against humanity and genocide in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza.
Turkey is also coordinating with the US and Arab mediators to arrange safe exit routes for Hamas fighters trapped in tunnels within Israel-controlled Gaza, according to Hamas, and Turkish sources.
Turkey, a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) since 1952, has also acted as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine and hosted the first direct peace talks between the two enemies in May.
However, according to the statement from the Department of State, the United States "emphasized President Trump’s call for all NATO allies to stop purchasing Russian energy in order to help bring the ongoing war in Ukraine to an end."
Turkey's mediation brought Ukraine and Russia to direct talks in Istanbul, resulting in a prisoner swap agreement but no ceasefire, as the sides remained divided over territorial and security demands.