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Turkey
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (left) and US President Joe Biden (right) met on the sidelines of the G20 leaders summit in Rome on October 31, 2021. Photo: Murat Cetin Muhurdar/Turkish Presidential Press Service/AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - United States President Joe Biden and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to form a “joint mechanism” to strengthen rocky ties in a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 leaders’ summit in Rome on Sunday, according to a Turkish statement.
The two leaders “made a joint statement of will to further strengthen and develop Turkey-US relations,” read a statement from Turkey's directorate of communications.
The White House said “President Biden underscored his desire to maintain constructive relations, expand areas of cooperation, and manage our disagreements effectively.”
Relations between the US and Turkey date back to 1831, when the United States established diplomatic ties with the Ottoman Empire, but the NATO allies today disagree on many major issues, including US support for Kurds in Syria, the most effective Syrian allies of the global coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) group. Ankara considers Syrian Kurdish forces a threat to its national security and is threatening a third offensive against them.
Other areas of discord are Ankara’s decision to pull out from the 2011 Istanbul convention requiring governments to adopt legislation prosecuting violence against women, which prompted criticism from the US. Biden’s recognition of the Armenian genocide in April was highly criticized by Ankara, with Erdogan warning the move has “further regressed” their relations. Most recently, Erdogan threatened to expel the American ambassador and nine other Western diplomats who voiced support for jailed Turkish philanthropist Osman Kavala.
In their meeting on Sunday, Biden expressed “concerns over Turkey’s possession of the Russian S-400 missile system,” which is considered a threat to NATO.
In December, the US announced sanctions against Turkey's military procurement agency for the S-400 purchase and Turkey was kicked out of the F-35 joint strike fighter program with several NATO countries. Erdogan has said he would like to purchase F-16s after losing the F-35 program.
The leaders also discussed the political process in Syria, the situation in Afghanistan as well as the importance of strong democratic institutions, respect for human rights, and the rule of law for peace and prosperity.
Biden and Erdogan last met in June.
The G20 Leaders’ Summit brings together the heads of the world’s 20 leading economies and representatives of international organizations. It kicked off on Saturday in Rome.
The two leaders “made a joint statement of will to further strengthen and develop Turkey-US relations,” read a statement from Turkey's directorate of communications.
The White House said “President Biden underscored his desire to maintain constructive relations, expand areas of cooperation, and manage our disagreements effectively.”
Relations between the US and Turkey date back to 1831, when the United States established diplomatic ties with the Ottoman Empire, but the NATO allies today disagree on many major issues, including US support for Kurds in Syria, the most effective Syrian allies of the global coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) group. Ankara considers Syrian Kurdish forces a threat to its national security and is threatening a third offensive against them.
Other areas of discord are Ankara’s decision to pull out from the 2011 Istanbul convention requiring governments to adopt legislation prosecuting violence against women, which prompted criticism from the US. Biden’s recognition of the Armenian genocide in April was highly criticized by Ankara, with Erdogan warning the move has “further regressed” their relations. Most recently, Erdogan threatened to expel the American ambassador and nine other Western diplomats who voiced support for jailed Turkish philanthropist Osman Kavala.
In their meeting on Sunday, Biden expressed “concerns over Turkey’s possession of the Russian S-400 missile system,” which is considered a threat to NATO.
In December, the US announced sanctions against Turkey's military procurement agency for the S-400 purchase and Turkey was kicked out of the F-35 joint strike fighter program with several NATO countries. Erdogan has said he would like to purchase F-16s after losing the F-35 program.
The leaders also discussed the political process in Syria, the situation in Afghanistan as well as the importance of strong democratic institutions, respect for human rights, and the rule of law for peace and prosperity.
Biden and Erdogan last met in June.
The G20 Leaders’ Summit brings together the heads of the world’s 20 leading economies and representatives of international organizations. It kicked off on Saturday in Rome.
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