Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio have emphasised the importance of engaging with the Syrian government during a meeting at the State Department in Washington, DC, according to Turkish Foreign Ministry sources.

"Both sides emphasised the importance of engaging with the Syrian government and expressed their determination to stabilise Syria and combat terrorism," the sources said on Tuesday.

Fidan and Rubio discussed a range of other regional and bilateral matters, including the need for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, which was deemed essential for regional peace, sources told Anadolu.

The meeting also followed up on issues discussed during a March 16 phone call between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Donald Trump, the sources said.

 Defense cooperation

The two sides also discussed preparations for upcoming head-of-state-level visits, with both expressing their commitment to removing obstacles to defense cooperation.

"Both sides clearly expressed their political will to remove the obstacles to cooperation in the defense industry. Technical meetings will be held to resolve existing issues," the sources added.

The two sides also spoke on efforts to achieve a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, with Türkiye expressing support for recent US efforts in this regard.

Discussions also covered the ongoing peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia and the importance of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s stability for the broader Balkan region.