Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is scheduled to arrive in London this week for high-stakes diplomatic talks with British officials, as Ankara intensifies its role as a “central corridor” for peace in both the Middle East and Eastern Europe. He is expected to hold talks with the UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, members of the UK Parliament, and other officials, the diplomatic sources told Turkiye’s state-run Anadolu Agency.
Fidan’s visit will focus on the escalating conflict in Iran, the recent developments at the Strait of Hormuz, and the ongoing war in Ukraine.
What’s On Turkish FM Fidan’s Agenda?
The Turkish foreign minister is expected to deliver remarks at an event hosted by the University of Oxford Global History Centre and the Global Order Program. Later, he is scheduled to meet with members of the Turkish community and business representatives in the UK.
As many as 500,000 people with roots in Turkiye live in the UK, fostering close cultural and people-to-people ties between the two countries. Fidan is expected to raise concerns about delays in the processing of indefinite residency applications for Turkish citizens.
The talks will also focus on enhancing the Turkiye-UK defence partnership, the Free Trade Agreement between the two countries and strengthening collaboration in the energy sector, including nuclear and renewable energy.
Navigating the Strait Of Hormuz Crisis And Russia-Ukraine War
The meeting in London signals a strengthening of the “Strategic Dialogue” between the two countries. As maritime security becomes the top priority for the British government, Ankara’s unique ability to maintain communication channels with sanctioned regimes like Iran makes it an indispensable partner for the UK’s post-Brexit foreign policy.
Following the joint US-Israeli offensive on the Iranian military infrastructure in late February and subsequent Iranian retaliatory strikes in the Gulf region, Turkiye has positioned itself as a vital interlocutor between Tehran, Washington, and London. Fidan is expected to discuss the ongoing Iran-US ceasefire efforts brokered by Pakistan with his British counterparts and will also emphasise Israel’s unilateral actions undermining the humanitarian situation in the war-torn Gaza enclave.
The UK-Turkiye talks come at a pivotal moment as the government of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to organise a 30-nation military planning summit in London aimed at restoring freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf, while Kyiv simultaneously pushes for Turkiye to host direct peace talks between Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
As the war in Ukraine enters a fourth year of stalemate, several Ukrainian news outlets, including Ukrinform, report that Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has formally requested Turkiye to act as a neutral host for a Ukraine peace summit.
The UK-led maritime summit is scheduled for April 22-23. At the gathering, the global geopolitical actors will be drafting the “Hormuz Reopening Mission” to secure the strategic global energy maritime route under the heavy US naval blockade. Fidan is expected to urge the UK and its allies to support a “toll-free” and “open” Strait of Hormuz to stabilise global oil prices, which have spiked above $116 per barrel.
Beyond Mediation, Discussions To Focus On NATO Alliance
Fidan and British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will discuss deepening NATO defence cooperation and the security of the Black Sea grain corridor. During the talks, Turkish FM will “stress the importance of EU security and defense initiatives being conducted in close coordination with NATO,” sources told Anadolu.
Evolved into a cornerstone of the global strategic depth, the Black Sea corridor is an economic engine for Ankara, and the stability of this region defines the economy and energy security for the NATO country under the rigid legal framework of the Montreux Convention. Over 40,000 ships transit the Turkish Straits annually, and any “spill-over” of conflict into these narrow waters would trigger a global supply chain crisis in the likeness of the Strait of Hormuz crisis, as the critical chokepoint handles roughly 3% of global oil demand and a massive share of the world’s grain.
In January, at a summit in Ukraine, the Turkish Foreign Minister underscored the “strategic priority” of maintaining security in the Black Sea by guaranteeing a safe sea route for the shippers and insurers and keeping the strategic sea open to commerce.
Two weeks ago, Fidan also attended an online meeting on the escalation surrounding the Strait of Hormuz as the Mideast waterway had been largely blocked for weeks. Turkiye has been leading diplomatic efforts for the resolution of the crisis, successfully bringing together key global political figures and middle powers from 150 countries for a diplomatic meeting in Antalya last week in a collective show of strength.
