US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Turkey after an unannounced visit to Iraq on Sunday; this is his last stop in the region before his trip to Asia, CNN reported.

Blinken is expected to meet with Turkish officials on Monday to discuss the war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan strongly criticizes Israel's military operation in Gaza, calling it a "crime against humanity."

Blinken visited Iraq despite threats from Kataib Hezbollah, a Shiite group affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran. It has been reported that the visit of the US Secretary of State to Baghdad will lead to a considerable escalation of tension.

During his visit to Iraq, the Blinken met with the country's Prime Minister Muhammad Shia' al-Sudani in Baghdad; the talk lasted more than an hour.