ANKARA, February 23. /TASS/. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan plans to discuss the situation in the Middle East and Ukraine with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, who is expected to visit Turkey on February 24, a source in the Turkish foreign ministry told TASS.

"Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will hold talks with his Russian counterpart to discuss issues of bilateral cooperation, especially in the areas of trade, energy, and tourism. They will also exchange views on ending the war in Ukraine through establishing a fair and lasting peace by means of diplomatic efforts. They will also discuss the latest contacts between the United States and Russia and Turkey’s potential mediatory contribution," the source said.

Fidan, in his words, will recall that in March 2022 Turkey had organized direct talks on Ukraine and "is ready to play this role in the future."

As for the situation in Syria, according to the source, the top Turkish diplomat will emphasize his country’s intention to "mop Syria up of terrorist elements." "Fidan will stress the importance of preserving Syria’s territorial integrity and political unity. He will also point out that Israel’s aggressive policy, which is jeopardizing Syria’s territorial integrity, is unacceptable," the source stated.

Concerning the Middle East problems, Fidan is expected to stress the need for a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and increased humanitarian assistance to the enclave. Apart from that, according to the source, the top Turkish diplomat will stress the inadmissibility of "forcible resettlement of Palestinians from their homeland" and will state that "peace in the Middle East can only be reached on the two-state basis.".