The US Secretary of State arrived Anthony Blinken To Greece as part of his tour in the region, which will last for about a week, during which he aims to ensure that “the conflict does not expand” in the region due to… The Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.
Blinken said after his meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Chania on the island of Crete, “We must ensure that the conflict does not expand in the region… One of the real fears is the border between Israel and Lebanon, and we want to do everything possible to ensure that the situation does not escalate.”
In press statements upon his arrival in Greece, the US Secretary indicated that his country is discussing with its allies what can be done to protect civilians in Gaza strip As the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip continues, he added that he wants to ensure that the countries of the region use existing relations to ensure that the conflict does not escalate.
Blinken, who arrived in Greece from… Türkiye– that Ankara It is ready to use its relations with major parties in the region to calm the conflict.
He stressed that “it is very important for the Israelis to have security in the north,” referring to the mutual bombing between the two countries Hizb allah And Israel.
Meeting with Erdogan
During his visit to Turkey, Blinken met with the President Recep Tayyip ErdoganThey held a lengthy meeting that lasted more than an hour.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry stated in a statement that the meeting between the President and Blinken discussed the situation in Gaza and the process of Sweden joining NATO (NATO).
The statement confirmed that Blinken stressed in his conversation with Erdogan “the necessity of preventing the expansion of the conflict, increasing humanitarian aid, reducing civilian casualties, working for a lasting regional peace, and progressing toward the establishment of a Palestinian state.”
The American Minister called on President Erdogan – according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry’s statement – to “complete (the process) of Sweden’s accession to NATO.”
Blaken began his tour in the region on Friday, and will visit Israel and…Jordan AndOccupied West Bank AndQatar To discuss ways to avoid the expansion of the conflict in the region after 3 months of the Israeli aggression on Gaza, and to push for what is said about introducing additional aid to the Gaza Strip.
Bloomberg News quoted a senior American official accompanying Blinken on his trip as saying that Washington is seeking to mobilize Ankara’s support for what it calls “post-war Gaza governance plans.”
According to Reuters, Blinken will call on the countries of the region to use the communication channels they establish with Iran to convey the message that his country does not seek escalation but will be content with defending its interests when attacked, according to what a US official said, requesting anonymity.
