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The Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, has made an urgent visit to Cyprus, as part of his contacts on the crisis in the Middle East, a few hours before arriving in Turkey.
According to information, Blinken is currently holding a meeting with the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides. The war between Israel and Hamas is expected to be on the agenda of the discussion, with an emphasis on Cyprus' proposal for the creation of a maritime aid corridor for Gaza.
Also the detour and meeting with Nikos Christodoulidis and Foreign Minister Konstantinos Kobo was done to thank them for the role of Cyprus in the temporary reception of some American citizens who fled from Israel in the first weeks of the war in Gaza.
Blinken earlier made a surprise visit to the West Bank where he met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
The Palestinian president's spokesman said Mahmoud Abbas told the US minister that there should be an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian aid allowed into the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian president denounced Israel's "genocide" in the Gaza Strip.
"I have no words to describe the genocide and destruction suffered by our Palestinian people in Gaza by the Israeli war machine, disregarding the principles of international law ," Abbas told Blinken.
For his part, Anthony Blinken "reaffirmed the US commitment to providing humanitarian assistance and resuming basic services" in Gaza, according to a US State Department spokesman. He also made it clear that Palestinians "should not be forcibly displaced."
Also, Blinken and Abbas discussed efforts to "restore calm and stability" in the West Bank, including the need to stop extremist violence against Palestinians.
Visit to Turkey
Blinken will visit Turkey in the next few hours, where he will probably stay until tomorrow, Monday, November 6.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry confirmed the visit of the American Secretary of State on November 5 and 6 to Ankara. His meeting with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan is expected on Monday.
"The US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, will visit Turkey on November 5-6, 2023. During the meeting on Monday, it is planned to exchange views on the situation in Gaza, regional issues and bilateral relations," said a statement from the Ministry of Turkish Foreign.
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