Blinken discusses Gaza, NATO growth with Turkey’s Erdogan

ISTANBUL, Jan 6: Washingtons top diplomat discussed the Israel-Gaza war with Turkeys mercurial leader on Saturday before flying to Crete to address Greek worries about the looming sale of US fighter jets to Ankara.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinkens high-stakes meeting with one of Washingtons most unruly NATO allies came on the first leg of a trip that includes visits to both Israel and West Bank.

Blinkens fourth crisis tour since the start of the conflict three months ago comes with fears mounting that the conflict will engulf swathes of the Middle East.
A senior US administration official said Blinken would press Israel to increase aid to Palestinians and move to a phase of combat that allows the displaced to start returning to their homes.

The official added that much of the discussions with Arab leaders will focus on containing the violence and looking at how the region can be governed once the fighting ends.

Istanbul served as a base for Hamas political leaders until raids on Israel killed around 1,140 people and triggered a reprisal offensive that the Gaza health ministry says has claimed more than 22,700 lives -- most of them women and children.

Turkey asked the Hamas chiefs to leave after some were captured on video celebrating the deadliest attack in Israels history.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has since turned into one of the Muslim worlds harshest critics of the scale of death and destruction happening in Gaza -- and of Washingtons support for Israel.     —AFP