long delayed visit
Sources familiar with the plan said Blinken will hold further bilateral talks with Cavusoglu in Ankara on Monday and is also expected to meet Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
Blinken’s first visit to Turkey as Foreign Minister had been planned for some time, but it is taking place only two years after he took office.
This is in contrast to some of his predecessors, including Hillary Clinton and Rex Tillerson, who visited within the first three months of their terms.
Analysts say the delay reflects the strained nature of the relationship, which has soured since 2019 when Ankara acquired Russian missile defense systems.
The United States has praised Turkey for some actions during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but is concerned about its close ties with Moscow, experts say.
Talks between Washington and Ankara are also expected to address Sweden and Finland’s stalled NATO applications, which Turkey has so far refused to confirm, saying Stockholm specifically seeks to provide asylum to members of terrorist groups. given.
Erdogan said last month that he was only ready to ratify the Helsinki application.
Sweden and Finland applied last year to join the trans-Atlantic defense pact after Russia invaded Ukraine, but faced unexpected objections from Turkey and have since sought to enlist its support.
Ankara wants Helsinki and Stockholm to take a harder line against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), considered a terrorist group by Turkey and the European Union, and another group responsible for the 2016 coup attempt.