Turkish foreign minister, intelligence chief hold bilateral talks at Munich conference

ISTANBUL

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held several bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Saturday.

Fidan met with Keith Kellogg, the US president's special envoy for Russia and Ukraine, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a post on X.

Earlier, sources in the ministry said Fidan met with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and discussed the situation in Palestine and preparations for Gaza's reconstruction.

In his conversation with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, they reviewed bilateral relations and recent developments in the Balkans.

Fidan also met with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev.

According to sources from the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Fidan met with Marta Kos, the European Commission’s commissioner for enlargement, on the sidelines of the 61st Munich Security Conference.

Underlining the importance of advancing Türkiye-EU relations within an agenda that includes concrete steps, Fidan said the EU, of which Türkiye is a member, could become a more effective power in the region.

The Turkish foreign minister also met with his Syrian counterpart, Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani.

Issues related to Syria’s reconstruction, the ongoing government formation process in Syria, and the fight against terrorist organizations such as Daesh (ISIS) and PKK/YPG were discussed during the meeting.

Fidan also met with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Azerbaijan's foreign ministers, Elmedin Konakovic and Jeyhun Bayramov, on the sidelines of the 61st Munich Security Conference, according to Foreign Ministry sources.

In his meeting with Konakovic, the Turkish foreign minister discussed bilateral relations, as well as developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the situation in the Balkans.

Fidan also met with Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Youssef and Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev.

According to Turkish security sources, Turkish Intelligence Organization (MIT) head Ibrahim Kalin also attended the conference, which focused on the theme of multipolarity and global and regional crises.

At the conference, Kalin held bilateral meetings and took part in intelligence sessions, sources say.

The Turkish intelligence chief stressed the fragility of the Gaza ceasefire and the need for Israeli attacks to end and for humanitarian aid to flow freely.

He also addressed Syria’s transition process, calling for sanctions to be lifted and underscoring the importance of preventing terrorist groups like ISIS (Daesh) and the PKK.

In its 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK—listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and the EU—has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, infants, and the elderly.

In addition, Kalin noted that, due to Türkiye’s geographical position, the country is directly affected by developments in both the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine war.

He stressed that peace is vital for the stability of the global economy and advocated for a negotiated solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The three-day Munich Security Conference is due to end Sunday.