Turkey and the US held wide-ranging talks on the wars in Ukraine and Gaza and various bilateral issues at meetings in Washington, the Turkish foreign minister announced late on Friday, Reuters reported.
The NATO allies began the meetings, known as the Strategic Mechanism, on Thursday to discuss efforts to overcome deep political differences and improve cooperation in other areas.
Relations between the allies have been strained in recent years due to growing disagreements on a range of issues, although they have regained momentum following Ankara’s approval of Sweden’s NATO membership.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said officials from the two countries have held several rounds of talks on issues such as Syria, Ukraine, Gaza, defense industry cooperation, energy and counterterrorism.
“Right now, especially given the point we’ve reached, with a renewed psychology, a more positive agenda, we have the opportunity to continue our path by turning a new page,” he told Turkish media in Washington.
“In tackling the problems we now face, it is important to recognize the joint potential of the two nations and seize the opportunities they can offer,” he said.
Fidan reiterated Turkey’s view that an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza is necessary and emphasized that countries must do more to alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe and pave the way for a two-state solution.
He also discussed ways to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine with US counterpart Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. He reiterated that Ankara believes it is time to talk about ways to end the war but that Turkey does not see any willingness from Kyiv and Moscow.
“We need a basis for talks to stop this war and a dialog to prevent worse crises, and we’re calling for this,” Fidan said.
The allies are still at odds over many issues, including Turkey’s purchase of Russian S-400 defense systems and the resulting US sanctions that led to Turkey’s removal from the F-35 fighter jet program. Turkey is also deeply concerned about US support for Kurdish fighters in Syria, whom Ankara considers terrorists.
Fidan said Turkey stands by its position on Syria and the F-35s, saying Ankara was owed jets for the payments and work it has done as a manufacturer. He said Turkey is ready to discuss the matter but that Washington must be “open-minded.”
