Turkey Will Help Limit War, Blinken Says After Erdogan Talk

Back in the Middle East, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday that the region's nations need to use their clout to keep the Israel-Hamas war from spreading and the fighting becoming "an endless cycle of violence." It's in their self-interest, he said, per Reuters. One of his stops was Turkey, where Blinken met with President Tayyip Erdogan, who has been critical of Israel's offensive in Gaza. Even so, Blinken afterward pronounced Turkey committed to playing a positive role in Gaza after the war and using its influence to contain the fighting.

Turkey's foreign minister advocated a cease-fire to Blinken, saying that Israel's aggression threatens the region. Hakan Fidan also called for prompt negotiations on a two-state solution, the AP reports. After leaving Istanbul, Blinken met with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Crete. Greece has denounced the Hamas attack that started the war and supports allowing more humanitarian aid into Gaza. Because of its longstanding ties to Arab nations, Greece has suggested it can be involved in aid efforts.

Blinken headed next to Jordan and planned to be in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia over the next two days. He's scheduled to visit Israel and the West Bank on Tuesday and Wednesday, then make his final stop in Egypt. Blinken stressed that most people in the Middle East want a peaceful future. "These are not necessarily easy conversations," he said Saturday. "There are different perspectives, different needs, different requirements, but it is vital that we engage in this diplomacy now." (More Israel-Hamas war stories.)