US secretary of state set to arrive in Türkiye on Friday

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will arrive in Istanbul on Friday as part of a weeklong regional tour, according to Turkish diplomatic sources, Report informs via Anadolu.

Blinken is expected to meet with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and be received by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as part of his fourth trip to Middle East since the October 7 Hamas attack, in addition to two stops in Europe.

Blinken will visit Türkiye, Greece, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the West Bank, and Egypt between Jan. 4-11 for meetings with his counterparts to discuss a "number of critical issues," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters on Thursday.

He will discuss immediate measures to increase humanitarian assistance to Gaza, said Miller, adding that Blinken will also discuss Israel's ongoing military campaign against Hamas following attacks by the Palestinian group on Oct. 7.

In Türkiye, Blinken will discuss regional cooperation, including final steps to complete Türkiye's ratification of Sweden's NATO accession, said Miller.