ANKARA — Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan traveled to Washington on Monday in a surprise visit coinciding with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s landmark White House meeting with President Donald Trump and the ramping up of Gaza diplomacy.
What happened: On Sunday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry announced Fidan’s visit to the United States in a one-sentence statement.
A Turkish diplomatic source later told Al-Monitor that Fidan would “hold bilateral and regional talks” in Washington, but offered no further details.
Fidan is expected to meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and discuss bilateral Turkey-US ties. Ankara’s most pressing request is the removal of defense restrictions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act.
The 2019 sanctions, triggered by Ankara’s purchase of Russian S-400 missiles, blocked Turkey from acquiring F-35 jets and expelled it from the production consortium. Turkey also aims to secure a Trump administration waiver for the sale of engines for its first indigenously manufactured fighter jet, Kaan, of which mass production is pending US motors sales.
Why it matters: Fidan’s surprise trip coincides with Sharaa’s historic White House talks with Trump, the first ever by a Syrian leader.
Ankara emerged as Damascus’ closest regional ally after the fall of the Syrian regime in December. Since then, Turkey has been working to boost Sharaa’s global profile so he can consolidate power in Damascus while Ankara preserves influence over its southern neighbor.
The Sharaa-Trump talks are expected to cover issues closely related to Turkey’s security and economic interests, including Syria’s post-war reconstruction, the future of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and a potential US-mediated security arrangement between Israel and Syria aimed at ending Israeli strikes on Syrian territory.
Turkey considers the SDF a top national security threat, given its close ties with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has fought for Kurdish autonomy in Turkey since 1984. Ankara seeks the SDF’s disarmament and integration into the Syrian military as part of ongoing US-led negotiations between Damascus and the Kurdish-led group.
The SDF seeks to join the Syrian military while keeping its forces largely intact to ensure local security, whereas Damascus demands full disarmament and integration of SDF fighters as individuals to reassert central government control.
Ankara, in turn, sees the SDF’s disarmament as vital for the success of the ongoing peace talks between the PKK and the Turkish government that involve the outlawed group disbanding and disarming.
The US is also mediating between Syria and Israel to halt Israeli strikes. Israel remains wary of growing Ankara-Damascus ties, particularly Turkish influence over Syrian military coordination, but a thaw in relations could facilitate Turkish-Syrian military cooperation and ease regional tensions.
Know more: Fidan’s stopover also comes amid renewed Gaza diplomacy as Washington-led efforts move toward the second phase of Trump’s ceasefire plan. US officials circulated a draft UN Security Council resolution last week calling for a two-year mandate for a transitional governing body and an International Stabilization Force authorized to “use all necessary measures” to demilitarize Gaza, Reuters reported last week.
Turkey and Arab partners are seeking language that frames the ISF strictly as a peacekeeping mission, wary that enforcement could trigger clashes with Hamas or Israeli forces. Israel has opposed Turkish troop deployment, while US officials push for Ankara’s involvement. On Sunday, Hamas returned the remains of Hadar Goldin, an Israeli soldier killed by Hamas in 2014, after nearly 11 years. A senior Turkish official told Israeli journalist Barak Ravid that Turkey facilitated the return.
Fidan last visited Washington in September, accompanying Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
