This handout photograph taken and released by Turkish Presidency Press Office on January 6, 2024, shows Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (right) shaking hands with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left) prior to their meeting at the Vahdettin private residence of the presidency in Istanbul. (HANDOUT / TURKISH PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE VIA AFP)

ISTANBUL - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Istanbul to discuss bilateral ties and international issues, according to the Turkish presidency.

Erdogan and Blinken held their talks behind closed doors at Vahdettin Palace on the Asian side of the city, the presidency said.

Before the meeting with the Turkish president, Blinken had a two-hour meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, during which the two ministers discussed the ongoing conflict and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as well as Sweden's NATO accession process, among other bilateral and regional issues, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on social media platform X.

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Blinken arrived in Istanbul on Friday night as part of a regional tour as tensions have been escalating across the region since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on Oct 7.