Blinken meets Turkish, Greek leaders as Gaza diplomacy tour begins

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met the leaders of Turkey and Greece on Saturday at the start of a week-long trip aimed at calming tensions that have spiked across the Middle East since Israel's war with Hamas began in October.

The Biden administration's most senior diplomat began in Istanbul, meeting Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, a strong critic of Israel's military actions in Gaza.

In the talks, Blinken "emphasized the need to prevent the conflict from spreading, secure the release of hostages, expand humanitarian assistance and reduce civilian casualties," US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

Blinken also stressed the need to work toward broader, lasting regional peace that ensures Israel's security and advances the establishment of a Palestinian state, he said.

Blinken and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan had earlier discussed...