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Department Press Briefing – October 21, 2024 [ https://www.state.gov/briefings/department-press-briefing-october-21-2024/ ] 10/21/2024 05:42 PM EDT
Vedant Patel, Principal Deputy Spokesperson
Home [ https://www.state.gov ]Department Press Briefing – October 21, 2024 hide
Department Press Briefing – October 21, 2024
October 21, 2024
1:08 p.m. EDT
*MR PATEL:* Sorry for making you all wait a little bit more than two minutes. I have just one very brief thing off the top, and then I’m happy to dive right into your questions.
So the Secretary will be wheels up later this afternoon, heading to Israel and other countries in the Middle East. In Israel, the Secretary will reaffirm the United States ironclad commitment to Israel’s security and emphasize advancing enduring peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike.
Throughout the region, Secretary Blinken will discuss the importance of bringing the war in Gaza to an end, securing the release of all hostages, and alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people. He will continue discussions with counterparts on post-conflict period planning and emphasize the need to chart a new path forward that enables Palestinians to rebuild their lives and realize their aspirations free from Hamas’s tyranny.
The Secretary will also underscore that additional food, medicine, and other urgently needed humanitarian aid must be delivered to civilians in Gaza.
He will also discuss the need to reach a diplomatic resolution in the conflict between Israel and Hizballah that fully implements UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and allows civilians on both sides of the Blue Line to return to their homes.
And lastly, he will reaffirm the U.S. commitment to work with partners across the region to de-escalate tensions and providing lasting stability.
So with that, Matt, you want to kick us off?
*QUESTION:* Sure. Just on the trip real —
*MR PATEL:* Yeah.
*QUESTION:* — briefly, what other countries is he going to?
*MR PATEL:* So Matt, I will let the travel team announce other stops as it relates to this schedule as the trip progresses. At this point, we’ll – we can certainly share that he will be going to Israel, but additional stops are to be announced.
*QUESTION:* Okay. And then on this whole leaked document thing on the intelligence assessment of Israel’s preparations for – is that going to – does that play any – is that a problem for him on this current trip? Is that an issue of concern?
*MR PATEL:* So I can’t say that it has come up in any of the bilateral or diplomatic conversations that we’ve had. What I can say is that we have seen these reports as well. And as the President said earlier this morning, we’re certainly concerned about them. But in terms of the specifics as it relates to this incident, I will let the Department of Defense, the Intelligence Community, and DOJ speak to it. And I certainly don’t expect it to have any bearing as it relates to the Secretary’s – not only his travels, but the objectives that the Secretary is bringing to this trip.
*QUESTION:* Okay. Thank you.
*MR PATEL:* Great. Simon, go ahead.
*QUESTION:* Yeah. So with the Secretary on his way following last week’s death of Yahya Sinwar, would the – after his death, the administration came out very quickly saying we see an opportunity to bring an end to this war; we want to get a ceasefire deal. But in the intervening time, the Israelis seem to have sort of doubled down on their approach. There’s been a lot of death in northern Gaza. They’re also bombing Beirut. Do you feel like that message, that this is a time to take advantage of this moment to end the war, has been heard from the Israeli side?
*MR PATEL:* Well, Simon, that’s exactly why he is going to the region to have these very important conversations with partners in Israel and counterparts in other countries as well. Let’s not forget where we were just a couple of months prior, in which the Government of Israel had indicated that it had supported the bridging proposal that was in line with the contours of what President Biden had announced earlier in the spring when we were talking about what was needed to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza. And Sinwar continued to be an obstacle.
Obviously, we certainly are not going to speculate on the leadership of Hamas or what form that takes. And certainly the same decision that was in front of Mr. Sinwar, the – that same decision is in front of Hamas in whatever it’s leadership will be, in that whether they want to end the suffering of the Palestinian people, if they want to end the suffering that has been brought about them.
So we expect the Secretary to talk about all of these issues. We feel strongly that there is an opportunity to move the ball forward as it relates to getting a ceasefire accomplished. I’m not going to speculate on any immediate end product or outcome, but we feel that it is important to engage, not just with the Israelis but also other partners in the region to continue to have these important conversations for all the reasons that you mentioned. There continues to be a need to address the humanitarian situation. We obviously want to ultimately see the violence to stop as well. So these are all things that we’ll continue to discuss.
*QUESTION:* And at this point, just to – so we understand where we are, there isn’t – like there isn’t anyone who has emerged in Hamas who you are now negotiating with through the intermediary?
*MR PATEL:* Not to my knowledge. Of course, I will let our mediators speak for themselves and let them speak to what kind of engagements they may or may not have with Hamas. But Matt spoke a little bit about this on Thursday. In the aftermath of Haniyeh’s death, you saw there was some sort of semi-public process in which Hamas had indicated who its new leadership was. I have no reason to think that a similar process would not take place in the ensuing time ahead.
*QUESTION:* And you mentioned the humanitarian situation. It seems like things have only got worse in northern Gaza. You had this 30-day ultimatum that you’ve given to the Israelis. I wonder if you can give us an update on – have they made any progress towards the – what the – what was laid out in the letter?
*MR PATEL:* So as we talked about last week, we have seen some progress on some of these things. We – as we saw, we saw the – last week, the reopening of the route from Jordan. We also saw the Erez crossing in the north reopen, talking about some of the efforts that we saw last week.
Look, certainly nobody in the U.S. Government is going to stand in front of you and say that we are satisfied or find the humanitarian situation in any part of Gaza satisfactory. And these are one of the things that we expect the Secretary to raise directly and discuss, not just with partners in Israel but other counterpart countries on what more can be done to get humanitarian aid into Gaza.
A number of border crossings, to answer your question specifically, Simon, are open. We are seeing truckloads enter the Gaza strip, and we’ll continue to press for more. Absolutely more is needed – more food, more water, more humanitarian aid overall.
*QUESTION:* Just on the situation in northern Gaza, I mean, it doesn’t seem like the humanitarian situation has improved dramatically, and there’s been an increase of bombings, lots of deaths reported, and lots of airstrikes. I wonder if the people of Gaza, especially those in northern Gaza, based on your rhetoric after the death of Sinwar might have thought that this spelled positive news, but then the weekend probably hasn’t left them with that feeling. So what would you say to those people who are saying: Well, why aren’t we getting humanitarian aid in? Why are we still being hit with these airstrikes?
*MR PATEL:* Well, a couple of things. A couple of things, Simon. First, as it relates to the letter that Secretary Blinken and Secretary Austin sent to Israeli counterparts, it had a 30-day stipulation, and there were a number of factors in that letter, of course, in which that we have not seen the totality of progress achieved. That being said, we have seen some positive steps in the right direction from last week, and we have seen some of that continue broadly speaking. Of course, more needs to be done.
But the broader point here, Simon, is that entities in the region are faced with a choice now. Whatever the leadership of Hamas looks like – and Hamas as a whole, they have a choice on whether they want to engage meaningfully in continuing the conversations that had taken place earlier in the year, when we were talking about achieving a ceasefire in Gaza. We think that continues to be the best path forward in which we’ll alleviate the humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian people but also allow the remaining hostages – of which there continue to remain seven American citizens are able to return home. And that continues to be an enduring priority for us, and I know it is for others in the region as well.
Leon.
*QUESTION:* Yeah, I understand the Secretary feels important to continue to engage in the region, as we you were saying. What do you think his leverage or the U.S. in general leverage is two weeks ahead of the elections going back to the region? Are his hands tied? Or is going to be listened to? Can anything happen or change?
*MR PATEL:* Leon, I kind of respectfully disagree with the premise of the question, and I’m going to invoke what many of you have heard Secretary Blinken say pretty regularly, is that in this department, in his role as Secretary of State, and I would say that extends to all of us that work for him, we don’t do or engage in politics. We are engaged in policy. And what I can say unequivocally is that pursuing a ceasefire, as it relates to Gaza – pursuing a ceasefire in Gaza is in the interest of, of course, the Palestinian people, because it will allow an additional influx of humanitarian aid, create the conditions hopefully for further conversations to happen so that we can see a independent Palestinian state and a Gaza Strip that is no longer a springboard for terrorism on the Israeli people, and a Gaza Strip that is hopefully unified with the West Bank as an independent state.
It is in the interest of the Israeli people because, again, for far too many years they have been living under the threat of terrorism and proxy groups and malign actors in the region. It is of course in the interest of the United States and it’s in the interest of the – of American citizens. First, the Middle East region is a region in which there are a number of American citizens who live there and call it home. But beyond that, the United States, the American people, it is in their interest to see a region pull itself out of these endless cycles of violence that we have seen for far too many years, that date back further than October 7th.
So it’s not about leverage, Leon. It is what do we want to see that is the best thing that can happen for the region, that is in the interests of the American people. And pursuing a ceasefire in Gaza, continuing to have conversations with counterparts of what a post-conflict period can look like – all of these things are in the United States interest, and all of these things are in the interest of the American people. And that is true irregardless of whatever may come when it comes to our elections.
*QUESTION:* Yeah, I’m not so sure about that. But just to move on very quickly, Lebanon. Do you condone strikes against financial institutions that strike the affiliates to Hizballah? And there’s now considerable, considerable damage in southern Beirut.
*MR PATEL:* So —
*QUESTION:* Is it going to become another Gaza?
*MR PATEL:* Look, Leon, we have been pretty clear and consistent about the fact that we do not want to see regular and daily strikes into Beirut. As it relates to these specific financial institutions that you’re asking about, Leon, I’ve seen those reports, and I’d let the IDF speak to its current operations. I from up here could not offer any analysis on what kind of role they may or may not have had as it relates to Hizballah’s broader infrastructure, whether it be financial or otherwise. I’m not saying that they did or didn’t. I’m just saying I can’t offer that assessment from up here.
Broadly, though, our call continues to be the same, that Israel needs to do everything it can to not target civilian infrastructure and abide by international humanitarian law, and in all of its operations needs to take every possible measure to minimize impacts on civilians and civilian infrastructure. This is something that Secretary Blinken has raised consistently with engagements that he’s had with counterparts, but it’s also something that President Biden raised with the prime minister earlier in the year as well.
Nick, go ahead.
*QUESTION:* There’s new reporting that the State Department is investigating an IDF unit for alleged sexual assault of Palestinian detainees. Is that true? And if so, what additional detail can you provide on that?
And then separately, just wanted to ask if the State Department is still facilitating flights out of Lebanon.
*MR PATEL:* So on your first question, Nick, I just wouldn’t speak to deliberative processes in detail. What I can say is that in any country where we have a security relationship, we of course have processes in place to assess and look at things when certain facts are raised or facts are brought to the United States. In all these places, it’s our obligations to do so. But I – what I can say is that I have no news to share or anything to announce in the context of any sort of policy designation with respect to Israel, and as I said, we wouldn’t speak to deliberative and ongoing processes.
And on Lebanon, so I appreciate your question. A couple of updates on that. So our most recent U.S. Government-offered flight was on Thursday of this past week, on Thursday, October 17th, to Doha, and we expect another flight to take place on October 23rd, this coming Wednesday. As many of you who have been following this issue closely, we will continue to organize flights based on demand. Obviously, with the next flight being on Wednesday, we have moved away from a daily cadence, but we will continue to look at what demand is and make adjustments to the contract as we need in either direction, and we’ll continue to assist U.S. citizens with seats on commercial flights, which are available daily to a range of destinations.
Camilla.
*QUESTION:* Thanks. Biden’s envoy, Amos Hochstein, is in Lebanon. He had said that UN Resolution 1701 is not enough and that Israel and Lebanon need to be working on a formula that brings an end to this conflict once and for all. Can you give any more details on what he was referring to, whether that’s on-the-ground forces? Obviously, we know he’s talking to political figures, and the goal for the U.S. is to get a political resolution. But is he talking more about the immediate terms in terms of troops, on-the-ground forces?
*MR PATEL:* So I think, if you look back at Special Envoy Hochstein’s statement specifically, what he said is both sides simply committing to 1701 is not enough, and certainly we would agree with that. What we want to see ultimately in any diplomatic engagement is action, and then of course in the context of northern Israel and southern Lebanon, what we want to see is the effective implementation of 1701. Of course, a commitment to such a thing would of course not nearly be enough. What we want to see is something in action.
But that being said, we are continuing to work with the Government of Lebanon, the state of Lebanon, as well as the Government of Israel to get a formula that brings this conflict to an end for once and for all. We are ultimately seeking out a diplomatic resolution. Our North Star and our goal here continues to be creating the conditions that will allow civilians on both sides of the Blue Line to return home.
*QUESTION:* And can I ask about this Axios reporting earlier today? There was – it’s reporting that the – that Israel gave a U.S. document – gave the U.S. a document saying what its demands are for ending the conflict with Lebanon, and part of that document was effectively saying that it can enforce, i.e. target, anywhere in the country as part of enforcing what it wants for ending the war. Do you have any —
*MR PATEL:* So I’ve not seen that reporting, and I certainly am not sure what that document is referring to. Again, in the context of Lebanon, we have been very consistent for many, many days and weeks now of what it is that we exactly want to see. We, of course, are not being naive about Hizballah, and they are in fact a terrorist organization, and they have had a stranglehold on much of Lebanon for quite some time now. And so we of course support efforts to degrade them, degrade their infrastructure. We want to make sure, though, that civilians are protected. We certainly don’t want to see any daily, regular strikes of Beirut, and we want to see every possible measure taken to protect civilians.
But beyond that, we ultimately want to see a diplomatic resolution – of course, one that is in line with 1701, that we believe will allow civilians to return home. That continues to be our focus.
*QUESTION:* But the U.S. would not be okay with Israel being able to strike Lebanon?
*MR PATEL:* I just don’t want to speculate around the context of this purported document because I truly have no idea what this reporting is referring to. What I can say now in the context of the ongoing kinetic activity is that we certainly don’t want to see any kind of daily strikes or action into Beirut, certainly one that – ones that have the potential to impact civilians and civilian infrastructure on a regular basis.
Said, go ahead.
*QUESTION:* Thank you, Vedant.
*MR PATEL:* Yeah.
*QUESTION:* Now, you keep insisting that Israel has accepted the proposal suggested by the President on May 31 and in fact adopted in a UN – a UN resolution, a Security Council resolution, on June 10. So can we expect that during the Secretary’s visit this time around that the Israelis will – the Israeli prime minister will say he adheres to the proposal as was submitted and adopted by the United Nations?
*MR PATEL:* Said, that is a question for the Israeli prime minister’s office and the Government of Israel. And certainly we are not the spokespeople for them, and I will let them speak to whatever it is their approach is now in the – after – immediate afterdays of Mr. Sinwar’s death. What I can speak to is what the United States approaches, and that, Said – and you heard me speak to Leon and Simon a little bit – in that for many, many, many months now, Mr. Sinwar had been the major obstacle to getting to a yes. Of course, time has passed since then, and there need to be continuing conversations that need to be had. Details as it relates to the proposal continue to need to be ironed out. And ultimately, this is a decision that only the Israelis can make and the Israeli prime minister can make.
But what the Secretary – the message that the Secretary will be bringing is that a ceasefire in Gaza, one that ends the conflict, one that allows an additional influx of humanitarian aid, one that creates the conditions for the remaining hostages – including the remaining seven American citizens – to return home – that is in the interest of the Israeli people, the Palestinian people. It is certainly in the interest of the United States and the American people. And that is what we will work collectively to pursue, but also in close coordination with partners in the region because the day-after period is also vitally important as well to make sure that we keep the region on track so it stops getting out of these endless cycles of violence.
*QUESTION:* Yes, but since it was an Israeli proposal to begin with, do you expect that the Israeli Government will come out and say, this is the proposal we accept?
*MR PATEL:* I’m not going to – Said, I’m not going to —
*QUESTION:* I’m just asking you.
*MR PATEL:* I’m not going to speculate on any announcements that may or may not come out of this trip.
*QUESTION:* All right. All right.
*MR PATEL:* I of course have no doubt that you’ll be paying attention to the Secretary’s trip closely, and I will let him and/or the Government of Israel speak directly.
*QUESTION:* Well, let me ask you about a massacre that took place on Saturday in Beit Lahia – a hundred people were killed, maybe more – many more injured. It was mainly civilians. I know Israel like to say under the pretext that there were fighters there, but we have seen the irrefutable evidence that Hamas fighters fight in twos and threes, as we have seen when their leader was fighting in twos and threes and so on, because it is more effective and it’s safer for them. So why is it so difficult for the United States of America – that has always adopted and espoused high standards on human rights and so on – why is it so difficult to condemn the massacre of civilians in this very case?
*MR PATEL:* Said, when we have seen action that has impacted civilians, when we have seen actions that have impacted civilians in a disproportionate way, we certainly have spoken to it. And of course, in the context of Gaza, we have not – we have not been unambiguous about the concerns that we continue to have that – about its impact on civilians, both in the death toll but also in the humanitarian impacts. And these are one of the things that we expect the Secretary to raise and continue to engage on on his travels.
*QUESTION:* But you do condemn the deliberate and wanton killing of civilians, don’t you?
*MR PATEL:* Of course we do, Said.
*QUESTION:* All right. Let me – let me just follow up on this very issue. Your ally, one of your strongest ally, is Jordan, and this is what Ayman Safadi said yesterday. He said, “The horror Israel is bringing on the entire population of northern Gaza . It is pure evil and a war crime that humanity should not tolerate.” Do you agree with the foreign minister of Jordan, your good ally?
*MR PATEL:* So I’ve not – I’ve not – I’ve not seen Mr. Safadi’s comments, Said, and certainly am not going to get into a public discussion or speak to private diplomatic conversations up here. What I can say is that we know that the – that Jordan shares the United States’s commitment of what we want to see for the region, which is ultimately, of course, regional stability and as well protections for civilians. We all have a strong interest in trying to create an environment in which people involved in this conflict can return to their homes and live safely and securely. Certainly that includes the Palestinian people, and that is something that we are going to continue to work towards and it’s something that we’re going to continue to work towards in close coordination with our Jordanian partners as well.
*QUESTION:* Last thing – last thing I have – on aid, please.
*MR PATEL:* Uh-huh.
*QUESTION:* Yeah, now just to follow up on what —
*MR PATEL:* Yeah.
*QUESTION:* — Simon asked.
*MR PATEL:* Yeah.
*QUESTION:* Now, your 30-day thing – I mean, Israel banned six organizations from getting aid into Gaza. Do you feel that Israel feels that it has this 30 days to do whatever it wants, that it can take whatever comfort that it can continue to prevent aid from going in? In the meantime —
*MR PATEL:* Said, I —
*QUESTION:* — you have 400,000 people that are being starved to death and now burnt to death.
*MR PATEL:* Said, I couldn’t speak to what Israel thinks or doesn’t think. What I can speak to is the approach that the United States is taking, which is that we want to see the humanitarian situation in Gaza significantly improved, and that of course – that 30-day thing that you’re referring to was a letter from the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense laying out very clearly what expectations we had and what changes that we want to see. And I’ll add it is simply just a reflection of U.S. policy. We are always going to appropriately enforce the laws that we are bound by, which is of course that in – when we have countries in which we have security relationships with, when we have humanitarian conditions as such, there are certain expectations and metrics that we need to see. And we will continue to push them to see those, and I have no doubt that the Secretary will raise this directly.
Alex, go ahead. Yeah.
*QUESTION:* Thanks, Vedant. A couple questions, just switching topic. Moldova.
*MR PATEL:* Uh-huh.
*QUESTION:* I was wondering if you have anything to add to what White House told us about the elections, if there’s any lesson that you guys have learned about Russian meddling, tactics of Russian meddling, and any response, any punishment, any reaction from the West we should expect in the coming days and —
*MR PATEL:* So I – certainly, Alex, I would not preview any actions from up here. But we would commend the Moldovan people for their participation in the October 20th election and referendum. And as we approach the second round of presidential elections on November 3rd, we’ll continue to support Moldova’s commitment to ensuring a credible and democratic process.
As it relates to the second part of your question, we and other international election observers noted some reports of malicious cyber activity, disinformation, and other things that are consistent with what we’ve seen the Kremlin do elsewhere and what the Kremlin has supported in its intent to undermine Moldova’s sovereignty. But in terms of the results as it relates to the referendum, Alex, we also congratulate Moldova for the passage of the referendum, ensuring the EU path in their constitution. Our viewpoint continues to be that Moldova’s future is in Europe. As it relates to these allegations, we certainly would want them to be investigated and resolved through appropriate transparent legal processes, but I’m not going to speculate any more on that.
*QUESTION:* Thank you. Moving to Ukraine.
*MR PATEL:* Uh-huh.
*QUESTION:* I know my colleagues have asked about North Korea, but North Korea is sending troops into Russia to fight in Ukraine. White House told us this morning that you are still investigating that, but the topic came up two weeks ago in this room, and I’m just having trouble understanding: Why does it take this long? Is it an intelligence failure or is it lack of trust in your allies? There’s Ukrainian intelligence, South Korea put it out there as public. Why is it taking this long?
*MR PATEL: *So, Alex, I’m certainly not going to get into or speak to ongoing processes that may exist to verify or ascertain certain information. But specifically to – as it relates to the question you asked, we have seen reports that the DPRK has sent soldiers to fight alongside Russian security services. We’re unable to confirm whether these reports are accurate, but if true, it would mark for a dangerous and highly concerning development in Russia’s war against Ukraine. And we’ll continue to consult with allies and partners on the implications of such a dramatic move.
But – and I want to be very clear about something, Alex. If this is accurate, it would also demonstrate what we would view as Russia’s growing desperation in its ongoing war of aggression. It is not hyperbole to say that Russia is suffering extraordinary casualties on the battlefield every day due to the effectiveness of the Ukrainian military. And if Russia is indeed being forced to turn to the DPRK for manpower, this would be a – certainly a sign of desperation on the part of the Kremlin.
Janne.
*QUESTION: *I mean, I’ve heard that line before. I mean, in fact, this is a line we have been hearing for two weeks now. Why do you guys want us to care about what it would mean, other than where it actually will happen or take and how to respond to it?
*MR PATEL: *Well, Alex, we’re just not at a place to confirm whether these reports are accurate. I’m sorry that’s not a swift enough process for you, but we try to work and act deliberately in the United States, and I would just point you back to all the other times that we have offered updates and assessments about Russia’s operation into Ukraine and Russia’s potential closening of the relationship with a – with an adversary. When we have been able to ascertain some of those facts and we’re in a place to share them, we can and we will. I’m certainly not going to get ahead of the process on this one.
Janne, go ahead.
*QUESTION: *I have a last topic if – please indulge me – on the – on Azerbaijan.
*MR PATEL: *I’m going to let – Janne’s patiently had her hand up.
*QUESTION: *Please come back to me later.
*MR PATEL: *Go ahead, Janne. Yeah.
*MR PATEL: *Thank you very much, Vedant. A couple of questions on Ukraine and North Korea. Ukraine President Zelenskyy and South Korea’s National Intelligence Service released clear evidence, including a video of North Korean troops being dispatched to Russia, and it was revealed 12,000 soldiers in the special forces are training at the Sergeevsky training camp disguised in Russian military uniform and ID card. But why has the United States not yet confirmed whether this is true or not?
*MR PATEL: *So, Janne, look, I – just to echo again what I said to Alex, we’re not yet at a point where we’re able to confirm those reports and whether they are accurate. But I just want to echo again that if they are true, it’s two things. One, it is a show of the desperation that the Kremlin has found themselves in, but it would also be a dangerous and highly concerning development in Russia’s war against Ukraine. It also would be another example of the closening of relations that we see between Russia and the DPRK. But again, at this point, I don’t have a assessment to offer from the United States in terms of whether these reports are accurate or not.
*QUESTION: *Follow-up: If the dispatch of North Korean troops to Russia is true and confirmed, will there be a change – change in support from the United States, EU, and NATO?
*MR PATEL: *Well, I’m not going to speculate at all, Janne. Look, when we have seen the Russian Federation closen relations with another country or rely on another country for its efforts in Ukraine – and an example that I can think of is the closening of relations that we have seen between Russia and Iran – you certainly have seen the United States take appropriate action, and we will certainly not waver when it comes to the support that we’ll continue to provide our Ukrainian partners.
*QUESTION: *Quick last one.
*MR PATEL: *Okay. Go ahead. Then I’ve got to work the room.
*QUESTION: *Although the Middle East – although the Middle East issue is considered important, the Korean Peninsula issue is also important. What impact do you think the North Korean military’s dispatch of troops to Russia will have on the Korean Peninsula in the future?
*MR PATEL: *I’m certainly not going to speculate on what impact it could have on the Korean Peninsula beyond just saying, again, if these reports are true, it certainly would be another example of a reckless and destabilizing action that we are seeing the DPRK participate in. But again, I don’t want to – don’t want to speculate.
Rabia, you’ve had your hand up patiently. Go ahead.
*QUESTION: *Thank you, Vedant. I have a question on Türkiye.
*MR PATEL: *Yeah.
*QUESTION: *Fethullah Gulen, the leader of FETO, whom Türkiye has long sought to extradite for orchestrating the 2016 failed coup, died yesterday. Have you seen the reports, and does the U.S. have any comment on this considering this issue has been a major sticking point between those countries?
*MR PATEL:* So I’ve seen those reports but I have nothing to offer. I wouldn’t comment on matters involving a – private individuals living in the United States. So I have seen those reports but don’t have anything to offer.
Yeah, go ahead.
*QUESTION:* On that?
*QUESTION:* Yeah.
*MR PATEL:* Oh, on the same topic?
*QUESTION:* The same topic.
*MR PATEL:* I’ll come back to you, Diyar. Go ahead.
*QUESTION:* Has Türkiye reached out for his body?