ANKARA / ISTANBUL
Türkiye emerged as a key hub of global diplomacy in 2025, hosting high-level talks on crises ranging from Gaza and post-Assad Syria to the Russia-Ukraine war.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan hosted dozens of foreign counterparts in Türkiye throughout the year for discussions on Gaza, post-Assad Syria, the Russia-Ukraine war, and Türkiye's regional security priorities and EU accession goals.
In January, Fidan met with a range of senior figures, including then-Belgian Foreign Minister Bernard Quintin and Iraq's Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani.
A key engagement in the first month of the year was a “3+3” meeting bringing together Fidan, Defense Minister Yasar Guler and National Intelligence Organization Director Ibrahim Kalın with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and senior security officials, which was followed by a joint news conference on Syria, Gaza and counterterrorism.
Frequent high-level talks with Syria
Later in January, Fidan, Guler, and Kalın also held a 3+3 meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra, and then-intelligence chief Anas Khattab. After the meeting, Fidan and al-Shibani briefed the press, focusing particularly on developments in Syria and counterterrorism.
During the same month, Fidan also met with EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib, Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard, Swedish Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer, and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas.
In talks with Kallas, Fidan discussed Türkiye-EU relations, developments in Syria and Gaza, and the Russia-Ukraine war.
He also attended the Türkiye-Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan trilateral meeting in Ankara, holding bilateral talks on the sidelines.
Separate bilateral meetings with foreign ministers
In February, Hakan Fidan met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, then-Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and Fatah Official Jibril Rajoub.
Speaking at a joint news conference with Lavrov, Fidan stressed that Türkiye has worked since the beginning of the war to help end the Russia-Ukraine conflict and remains ready to take any step that could contribute to peace.
During his meeting with Rajoub, Fidan underlined the urgency of Palestinian reconciliation, emphasizing that unity is essential to counter Israel’s expansionist policies.
In March, Fidan also met with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong, Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh, and Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto
Antalya Diplomacy Forum and high-level engagements
As part of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum held April 11-13, Fidan conducted numerous bilateral and multilateral meetings.
He held one-on-one talks with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov.
On April 19, Fidan met with Hamas Shura Council Chairman Mohammed Darwish and members of Hamas’ Political Bureau in Ankara. Discussions focused on efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, ensure humanitarian aid access, and promote reconciliation among Palestinian factions.
Emphasizing the importance of Palestinian unity, Fidan said Türkiye is ready to contribute in every possible way to unity efforts.
In April, Fidan also met with Council of Europe Secretary-General Alain Berset and Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide.
Growing cooperation with Jordan and Syria
On May 12, Fidan attended the Türkiye-Jordan-Syria foreign ministers meeting in Ankara, followed by a joint news conference addressing developments in Syria and counterterrorism.
Later in May, during an informal NATO foreign ministers meeting in Antalya, Fidan met NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, his counterparts from Ukraine, Germany, the UK and France, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, including a trilateral meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister al-Shibani.
Türkiye hosts Russia-Ukraine talks
On May 16, Fidan attended the Türkiye-US-Ukraine Trilateral Meeting at the Presidential Dolmabahce Working Office in Istanbul, followed by a Türkiye-Russia-Ukraine trilateral meeting.
He later took part in another round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks hosted by Türkiye on June 2 at Ciragan Palace in Istanbul.
In June, Fidan continued his diplomatic engagements on the sidelines of the 51st Session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Council of Foreign Ministers in Istanbul, holding talks with counterparts from Syria, Iran, Tunisia, and Iraq.
On June 30, Fidan met UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy in Ankara to discuss regional and global developments.
EU accession process
In July, Fidan met with Salvadoran Foreign Minister Alexandra Hill and EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos. After talks with Kos, Fidan stressed the urgent need for a credible and principled enlargement policy, emphasizing fair treatment for all candidate countries and reaffirming Türkiye’s unwavering commitment to EU membership.
On Aug. 1, Fidan met once again with Hamas Shura Council Chairman Darwish, stating that Israel’s efforts to displace Gazans from their land and annex the West Bank are unacceptable.
Security priorities and regional coordination
During talks with his Syrian counterpart in August, Fidan stressed that Türkiye’s security demands in Syria must be met, calling on the YPG terrorist group to end actions threatening Türkiye and the region.
On Oct. 8, Fidan met once more with al-Shibani in Ankara, where they held a joint news conference.
Fidan said the Syrian Democratic Forces must abandon its separatist agenda pursued under the pretext of fighting ISIS (Daesh), stressing that the Syrian government has the will to carry out coordinated operations against the terror group.
In October, Fidan also held talks with counterparts from Iraq, Germany and Estonia, welcoming the resumption of oil flows through the Iraq-Türkiye pipeline and expressing confidence that full capacity would boost bilateral ties and trade.
In November, Fidan held talks with Romanian and Egyptian counterparts, saying Hamas has shown willingness to take constructive steps toward a lasting ceasefire in Gaza. He stressed the need for a clear legal and political framework for Gaza’s future governance, noting that consultations with Egypt and other partners were ongoing.
