US President Joe Biden on Sunday told his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan his desire to maintain constructive relations with Turkey.
This came in a meeting between Biden and Erdogan in the Italian capital, Rome, on the sidelines of the G-20 summit, according to a statement issued by the White House.
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The statement stated that Biden stressed, in his meeting with Erdogan, his desire to maintain constructive relations with Turkey, expand areas of cooperation and effectively manage conflicts.
Biden also expressed his appreciation for Turkey’s 20-year contribution to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) mission in Afghanistan.
The White House statement added that the two presidents discussed the political track in Syria and the delivery of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.
In addition to the developments in Libya, the situation in the eastern Mediterranean, and diplomatic efforts to establish stability in the southern Caucasus region.
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He explained that Biden stressed the importance of defense cooperation between the two countries and the importance of Turkey as a member of NATO, and expressed his concern over Turkey’s possession of the Russian S-400 missile defense system.
Biden also emphasized the importance of strong democratic institutions, respect for human rights, and the rule of law for peace and prosperity, according to the same statement.
According to the statement of the Communication Department of the Presidency of the Turkish Republic, the two presidents agreed to form a joint mechanism to strengthen and develop relations between the two countries.
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The statement pointed out that the meeting took place in a positive atmosphere and dealt with bilateral relations and regional issues.
