Washington, Israel's closest ally, repeatedly says it supports Israel's right to defend itself, after the cross-border attack by Hamas fighters on October 7.
However, it has intensified its calls for Israel to exercise restraint in its campaign, which has so far led, according to Gaza health officials, to the deaths of nearly 19,000 people and the destruction of much of the Strip.
The source said that Fidan informed Blinken that the situation in Gaza and the West Bank was getting worse due to the Israeli attacks.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his American counterpart Joe Biden on Thursday that the United States bears a “historic responsibility” for achieving a ceasefire in Gaza.
The source stated: “Fidan stressed the necessity of forcing Israel to sit at the negotiating table after reaching a complete ceasefire in order to begin a process aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution.”
He explained that Fidan and Blinken also discussed bilateral relations and Sweden's request for NATO membership, which has not yet been ratified by the Turkish Parliament, and Ankara's request to purchase F-16 fighter jets from the United States.
The source continued: “During the call, in which the importance of working in line with the spirit of the alliance was stressed, Sweden’s request to join NATO, the issue of F-16 aircraft, and cooperation in the defense industry were among the issues on which views were exchanged.”
He added that the call was made at the request of Blinken.
In October 2021, Turkey requested the purchase of 40 F-16 fighters produced by Lockheed Martin and 79 modernization kits for its current warplanes.
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