Blinken, in Turkey, discusses Islamic State in Syria, Gaza ceasefire

US secretary of state Antony Blinken and Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan agreed on Friday on the need for continued efforts to counter any resurgence of Islamic State in Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad.Washington’s top diplomat also said he discussed the imperative of Palestinian militant group Hamas saying “yes” to a Gaza ceasefire agreement in his talks with Turkey’s president and foreign minister. A US official said Hamas has softened its position in ceasefire talks.Blinken is touring the Middle East to establish a united front with Arab and Turkish allies on the set…