Speaking at a cabinet meeting, the Turkish president detailed his recent talks with the US president and their efforts to herald a new beginning in relations between Ankara and Washington.

According to Anadolu Agency, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he and US President Joe Biden discussed future bilateral cooperation and agreed that there is no problem that the two countries will not be able to solve.

Erdogan said: As we strengthen our dialogue with the United States at all levels, we are determined to change the beautiful relationship we have with Biden and maximize the benefits for our countries.

We believe that we will resolve the bilateral issues in due course. We believe that we have opened the doors of a new (cooperation) era with the United States on a positive and constructive basis.

The Turkish president went on to say that Ankara should present a simple list of its demands to the United States, including respect for its sovereignty in politics and the economy and support for Turkey’s war against terrorist organizations.

Erdogan also stressed the importance of good relations with Turkey, pointing out that the NATO alliance would not survive if Ankara left the bloc.

Erdogan’s comments came as Ankara and Washington have seen a deterioration in their relationship since Turkey signed an agreement to buy S-400 air defense systems from Russia in December 2017.

The United States has repeatedly called on Turkey to drop the deal, claiming that the S-400 systems are incompatible with NATO’s defense system and pose a threat to the F-35’s secrecy by revealing their capabilities to Moscow.

The Turkish president also ruled out the possibility that his country would abandon the S-400 systems it had acquired.

He has repeatedly called on the United States to find a solution to the problem that suits both sides, but Washington has so far rejected the working group’s offer.

Erdogan also expressed his hope to find a solution to the issue during a recent meeting with US President Joe Biden during the recent NATO summit in Brussels, but in the end the two sides could not agree on the S-400 issue.

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that his meeting with his US counterpart in Brussels, Joe Biden, was “positive” and that he invited Biden to visit Turkey, Reuters reported.

Erdogan said this in a speech at a press conference in Brussels after attending the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) meeting.

Erdogan said that the two sides discussed Turkey’s purchase of the Russian S-400 air missile system, and the suspension of Turkey’s participation in the F-35 fighter program.

The Turkish president clarified Turkey’s position in the meeting with Biden, and that “Turkey’s view on purchasing the S-400 has not changed, and this includes the issue of suspending participation in the F-35 program.”

He said Biden is confident of Turkey’s strength in the face of the S-400 system and F-35 fighter jets.

Because Washington’s reluctance to sell these systems to Ankara in the past forced Turkey to buy the Russian S-400 systems.

On July 17, 2020, the United States suspended Turkey’s participation in the F-35 fighter jet program in response to Turkey’s insistence on purchasing S-400 air defense systems from Russia.

Turkey was one of the countries participating in the project to produce these fighters, and it spent about $900 million on the project.

In addition to Turkey, countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia, Denmark, Canada and Norway participate in the program.

On December 14, the United States imposed sanctions on Turkey under a law called CAATSA to punish countries that cooperate with America’s enemies.

The United States has repeatedly stated its opposition to Turkey’s purchase of S-400 air defense missile systems from Russia.

“We agreed to use direct dialogue channels in an effective and orderly manner that suits allies and strategic partners,” Erdogan added.

He said that he discussed with Biden the approach of creating opportunities for cooperation in areas of common interest, as well as working together in areas that need effective cooperation.

The Turkish president stressed that the meeting stressed the need to revive bilateral cooperation and regional consultations between the two countries.

“When I invited him to visit Turkey, Biden insisted that he might come,” he said of the US president’s invitation.

“There are no outstanding issues in Turkish-American relations, and the scope of cooperation between the two countries is broader than the issues raised,” Erdogan said.

“The Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense will follow up on this with their American counterparts,” he said, noting that he had discussed with Biden ways to work together in the defense industry.

In response to a question whether Turkish-American relations have returned to normal after the meeting, Erdogan said that Monday’s consultations were the first face-to-face meeting with Biden since taking office, adding that his relationship with Biden is not new.

He said that he held a bilateral meeting with Biden for more than half an hour, after which they presided over a meeting of the delegations of the two countries.

Asked if he would visit the United States in the future, Erdogan said he would attend the United Nations General Assembly in addition to the opening of a “Turkish House” (cultural) in New York.

Commenting on his meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Erdogan stressed the importance of bilateral cooperation at the regional and bilateral levels as allies, friends and strategic partners.

Erdogan also indicated that he discussed bilateral and regional issues with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

US President Joe Biden also described his first face-to-face meeting with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan as “positive and fruitful” and said that the two countries “will make progress in bilateral relations.”

Biden made the remarks at a press conference in Brussels after several meetings with leaders of NATO member states, including Erdogan.

Biden said he and Erdogan discussed in detail how to move forward on several issues.

“Our teams will continue the discussion and I am confident that there will be real progress between Turkey and the United States,” he added.

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he expects to meet with his US counterpart Joe Biden on Monday (today) to resolve bilateral issues and resolve recent differences on various issues, including the purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system.

Erdogan, who is scheduled to meet Biden for the first time today on the sidelines of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), stressed that Washington should have an “unconditional approach” to the summit.

According to Reuters, Erdogan told reporters at Istanbul airport before leaving for Brussels that he had talked about the White House’s recent decision to recognize the so-called “Armenian genocide” in 1915 and the withdrawal of the United States for not including Turkey in the F-35 fighter program.

“First of all, we have to put Turkish-American relations on the table,” he said.

There are a lot of internal and external rumors, so we need to talk about how to overcome these problems and what we can do about it.

“Turkey is not like other countries for the United States, but it is an ally.”

According to the report, Erdogan added: “The United States has taken such a position on an issue that has nothing to do with NATO (the Armenian Genocide).

According to Reuters, he also commented on Washington’s decision to remove Ankara from the F-35 program:

“Unfortunately, we are facing a situation where Turkey fulfilled its obligations and the United States did not fulfill its promises and did not abide by the ‘Agreement’.

“We must see an unconditional approach from the United States, which can help in cooperation and in strengthening NATO,” he said.

Turkish-US relations over the past few years have left Turkey out of the program due to issues such as US support for the Kurds, whom Turkey considers terrorist groups.

As well as sharp disagreements over Turkey’s arms purchases from Russia, especially the S-400 missile system.

The F-35 deal also faced many ups and downs due to the purchase of Russian weapons.

Today, the Director General of Communications at the Turkish Presidency called on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to redefine its strategic concepts in order to change the security image of the West Asia region, considering NATO necessary for the country’s security.

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The Turkish Foreign Minister stated that the Russian S-400 missile system purchased by Turkey does not pose a threat to NATO security.

This system does not pose any danger to NATO. And Turkey is determined to have a constructive dialogue on the S-400 issue from a realistic point of view.

As Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, who is in France, wrote in a note to the French newspaper, Appignon:

“Turkey and France are friendly countries and will remain so.”

There should be no room for misunderstanding so that this friendship and familiarity does not get into trouble.

He added, “The two allies are going through a period of extraordinary pressure. The phone call between Erdogan and Macron in March is an opportunity to strengthen relations.

The trip to Paris and my meetings on this trip show our will.

Referring to regional issues that pitted the two countries against each other, Cavusoglu wrote:

Today, there are increasingly common views and common interests on many issues.

The two countries considered the issue of Syria, the access of humanitarian aid, the preservation of Syria’s territorial integrity, and the advancement of the political process as important issues that have the same political priorities.

With our allies in the fight against ISIS, our differences over the terrorist PKK can be resolved when cooperation with the group ends.

The goal of the PKK is not to confront ISIS, but to divide Syria and control the border between NATO and Europe by using terrorists to create an (autonomous) region that no one can deny.

Our allies should know that this terrorist group poses a threat to our national security and should not deny it.

He added: “Turkey and France are friends and allies and will remain so.”

The Turkish foreign minister stated that the Russian S-400 missile system Turkey purchased does not pose a threat to NATO security.

And Turkey is determined to have a constructive dialogue on the S-400 issue from a realistic point of view.

The Turkish Foreign Minister left for France yesterday (Sunday) and will arrive in Paris today to meet Turkish officials during his two-day visit.

France and Turkey have also experienced turbulent relations over the past two years, culminating in the Nagorno-Karabakh War and Paris’ support for Armenia.

Paris called on the European Union to impose sanctions on Turkey, but this was opposed by some countries, including Italy, and Germany as a mediator, and called for more understanding between Turkey and European countries.

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According to international news agencies, the Turkish government is looking for a middle ground to bypass a situation referred to in many Turkish media and political circles as the “S-400 crisis”.

Turkish newspapers reported that President Erdogan’s team is working hard to convince the US president and powerful NATO members to conclude that buying a missile system from Russia means not turning your back on the United States and NATO.

Erdogan’s team finally has 10 days to make a final offer to the president to have a say in the upcoming meeting with Joe Biden on the sidelines of the NATO summit meeting.

The relationship between the S-400 and the dispute between the lira and the dollar

According to a report published by Bloomberg Agency, a delegation of Russian military advisers came to Turkey with two large shipments of S-400s that returned to Moscow two days ago, which sent a positive signal to the United States.

But Russian officials denied the allegations, saying that the officers’ return was based on a predetermined calendar and had nothing to do with relations between Ankara and Washington.

Bloomberg also indicated that the denials of Russian officials raised doubts about the currency and capital markets in Turkey.

And that the US dollar has again become fatter against the Turkish lira, and there are fears that it will soon reach 9 liras.

A short visit for greetings and grievances

US State Department spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki said Biden will meet with Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the NATO summit in Brussels on the fourteenth of this month, and regional issues should be discussed.

“In a meeting with the US president on June 14, we will certainly ask why Turkish-US relations are at such a tense stage,” Erdogan said in a lengthy television interview two days ago.

Before you came, we worked with both Democrats and Republicans, from George W. Bush to Obama and Trump.

But I had never experienced such tension with them before.

We didn’t see any tension with Mr. Trump and Mr. Obama.

On the contrary, we were very calm in telephone diplomacy, we were very comfortable and we made decisions on various issues.

Unfortunately, we were not in constant contact with Mr. Biden during this time. We will talk about these issues at the NATO summit.”

Earlier, Turkish media and diplomatic sources in Ankara announced that the meeting between Erdogan and Biden will be half an hour, and taking into account the translation time, this time is about 15 minutes.

Which indicates that during the intense meeting between Erdogan and Biden, most likely, there will not be much time for bargaining and detailed explanations.

There must be a brief and concise agenda that can help change the current climate and cloudy skies between the two countries.

But the statements of some analysts close to Erdogan’s team indicate that there is no hope for a clear result during this meeting.

Turkey is not waiting for the spring of relations

Hasan Basri Yalcin, an analyst close to the AKP, wrote in Al-Sabah newspaper:

“We have to accept the fact that the current problems and tensions between the United States and Turkey focus only on the Armenian issue and Biden’s attempt to acknowledge this claim.”

The massacre is not Armenian and we have at least 10 serious disagreements.

Therefore, even if (thanks to Erdogan’s initiative and diplomatic experience) the meeting with Biden at the NATO summit yields few positive gains, the United States will continue to maintain its ambiguous and aggressive stance.

“No one should expect a new spring between the United States and Turkey.”

As Professor Burhanettin Doran, a member of the Turkish Presidential Foundation’s Foreign Policy and National Security Advisory Board, wrote:

“The meetings of US Deputy Secretary of State Sherman in Ankara showed that Washington continues to oppose the purchase and installation of the S-400.

Many problems, such as the S-400 missile system, the F-35 fighter, and US support for the YPG and Gulen, may not be resolved, but relations can be prevented from deteriorating.

Second, it can be a relatively diplomatic meeting in which the two sides express their theses on problematic issues and express their complaints to the other.

Decoding Biden’s trips and visits

One of the most important issues for Turkey’s diplomatic apparatus is the fact that US President Joe Biden has focused all his energy on issues relating to the Western world.

Biden’s upcoming show shows that his team is trying to mend America’s strained relations with Europe and NATO.

While at the same time gaining more strength against Russia and China.

That is why in the coming days Biden will travel first to England on a two-day trip to attend the G7 summit.

Then he visits Buckingham Palace to meet Queen Elizabeth, and then he meets the King and Prime Minister of Belgium in Brussels.

He will travel during the NATO summit from Belgium to Geneva, Switzerland, to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and then he will meet with Swiss officials and return to the United States.

This shows that the foreign policy priorities of Joe Biden’s team are the two vital chapters of cooperation with the West and preparation against Russia and China.

In this context, there is great scope for cooperation with a country like Turkey.

Finally, it should be noted that in the 20-year history of the Justice and Development Party led by Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the relations between Ankara and Washington have never reached this level of tension and separation.

Interestingly, Turkey’s distance from the United States does not mean a deep and close friendship with Russia.

For example, there are significant differences in views between the Putin administration and Turkey’s actions in recent months, such as:

• The fate of Idlib in Syria.
• Turkish political and military leadership in Libya.
• Turkey’s view of the balance between Ukraine, Crimea, Tatars and the Black Sea.

As a result, Turkey’s foreign policy toward the two powers, the United States and Russia, is very similar to moving on the edge of the sword and trying to keep itself close to both powers at the same time.

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Following tensions between Turkey and the United States over the Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems, the Ankara government has repeatedly used them, according to international news agencies.

During a visit to Athens on Monday evening, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said other countries’ requests for Ankara to abandon the S-400 are totally unacceptable.

“We will have 100% control of the S-400 systems,” Cavusoglu was quoted by Anadolu Agency as saying.

“We have sent our specialists to Russia and there will be no Russian military experts in Turkey to operate these systems.”

The Turkish Foreign Minister also criticized the involvement of European countries and the United States in Turkey’s internal and military affairs.

“In our opinion, requests from other countries not to use the S-400 systems are wrong,” he said.

Earlier, US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said, during a visit to Turkey, that Washington had offered Ankara other options to lift sanctions on the country because of its purchase of a defense system from Russia.

In mid-April, the US State Department announced that it had sanctioned five Turkish defense industry officials, including its chief, Ismail Demir, for their links to Russia’s intelligence and military services under the CAATSA law.

In December, the United States added Turkish defense industries Ismail Demir to its sanctions list over Ankara’s move to purchase the S-400.

Washington claimed that Ankara was punished under the so-called CAATSA law for its knowledgeable cooperation with the regime and its purchase of it from the Russian arms company Rosbruno Export.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken recently threatened that Turkey and other countries should not buy arms from Russia, which could lead to further sanctions.

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In a hypothetical meeting with US businessmen, Erdogan said that despite the US president’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide, his upcoming talks with Joe Biden in June in Brussels would herald a new chapter in bilateral relations between the two countries.

According to local news agencies, the first official meeting between Joe Biden’s government and Erdogan’s government will be held in Ankara today (Friday).

Although there has already been a telephone conversation between Biden and Erdogan, as well as between the two countries’ foreign ministers of Blinkin and Cavusoglu, the face-to-face meeting has more diplomatic value.

Of course, the visit of the US Deputy Secretary of State to Ankara will be a high level visit.

It is clear that Ankara would have preferred to welcome Anthony Blinken on the first diplomatic visit, but this move from the Biden administration to Turkey appears to be an expected.

Because Biden’s first action against Turkey was recognition of the historic claim of the Armenian Genocide, a serious shock in the history of relations between Ankara and Washington.

But a look at the statements of government officials from Turkey’s Justice and Development Party shows that they are not disappointed with the United States and are working hard to remove existing obstacles, at least in part and gradually.

Sherman vs Onal

According to the Turkish Foreign Ministry, the first high-level visit to Turkey since the Biden administration took office in the United States is taking place today.

As US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman will visit Ankara today.

A statement issued by the Turkish Foreign Ministry said that political consultations will take place in Ankara today, May 27, 2021, headed by Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal and US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman.

The meeting is expected to discuss the Turkish-American relations, regional and international issues.

Sherman’s visit to Turkey comes after her meetings in Brussels, and she is scheduled to meet with representatives of some non-governmental organizations in Turkey, in addition to her Turkish counterpart.

Sedat Onal is one of Turkey’s most experienced diplomats, who recently traveled to Cairo to meet diplomats from Sisi’s government.

He is a well-known politician in the Turkish diplomatic apparatus, and he is well acquainted with American politics as well as the Middle East issue.

Erdogan’s reaction to Biden’s offensive approach

Erdogan’s focus on the United States over the past two months shows that he wants to keep Turkish-American relations away from the Biden administration’s offensive approach and engage heavily with his team.

Perhaps that is why, even after Biden’s decision to recognize the Armenian Genocide, Erdogan, who has nothing to do with anyone, is still addressing the US president.

He said, “President Biden! You accused us of genocide and now you support Israel.” You are writing history with blood on your hands. “You forced us to say that.”

According to some Turkish political analysts, saying “You forced us to say this” is a small brake.

This indicates that Erdogan, in his lively and partisan speech, is not without a desire to maintain relations between the two countries.

But why? The answer is:

• The dollar shock and the political and economic problems have imposed huge costs on Turkey’s ruling party.
• Erdogan still hopes to persuade Biden to seize the F-35 fighting jets.
• On the same night that Biden spoke to Erdogan and told him that he would recognize the Armenian Genocide within a few hours, it was agreed to hold a meeting between Erdogan and Biden at the next NATO summit in Brussels. And at that meeting, some problems will be solved.

Erdogan’s purposeful work before Sherman’s trip

Just two weeks before the meeting between Erdogan and Turkish President Biden, the Turkish president made an important symbolic step, urging American businessmen to invest in Turkey.

In a conference by phone, Turkish President and the leader of the Justice and Development Party Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed a large group of members of the American Chamber of Commerce and Industry, declaring that Ankara is determined to achieve the goal of 100 billion dollars with the United States, and hopes that the new US administration will take measures enthusiastically.

It seems that the new Turkish ambassador to the United States, Hasan Murat Mercan, who was recently transferred from Tokyo to Washington, along with a team of economic and political lobbyists, has achieved preliminary results, and he hopes that the turmoil in the sky of relations between Turkey and America may disappear.

Erdogan said in the meeting with US businessmen that despite the US president’s recognition of the Armenian genocide, his upcoming talks with Joe Biden in June in Brussels would herald a new chapter in relations between the two countries.

In his speech, Erdogan stressed the issue of “political and judicial reform” and called on American investors to pay more attention to Turkey and benefit from the incentives of the Turkish government.

He said, “We have defined the responsibilities of our institutions to attract foreign investment.” I hope we will soon share our document with the nation and international investors.

We want to increase our country’s annual share of international direct investment by up to 50% in the medium term.

To this end, we are simplifying the use of our incentive system and making it easier for investors to take advantage of the incentives.

With the increase in investments, we are interested in projects that accelerate the technological transformation of our country, create jobs and help achieve balance in our current account.

We will continue to attract international investors in specific areas, particularly in information and communication technology, energy and procurement.

The Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Industry and Technology, the Presidential Investment Offices, Digital Transformation and other institutions are ready to provide all necessary support for your new investment projects. “

Important differences

Turkey and the United States differ on several important issues:

1. The United States feared that Turkey would approach Russia and used the purchase of the S-400 missile system as an excuse not only to place Turkish defense industry officials on the sanctions list, but also to prevent the export of the F-35 to Turkey and the production of parts of these fighters on Turkish soil.
2. In the case of the Eastern Mediterranean, the United States does not like Turkey’s view of Cyprus, Greece and the region’s energy resources.
3. Turkey is deeply dissatisfied with US political-military support for the PKK-affiliated PKK institutions in northern Syria.
4. Turkey expects the US government to end the activities of the Gulen students in the various provinces.

Wendy Sherman’s visit to Ankara, despite being low-profile, will at least allow Turkey to evaluate more possible scenarios for Joe Biden’s decisions regarding future relations with Ankara and various challenges.

The truth is that given the depth of some of the important differences between the United States and Turkey, one can expect anything, not only from Sherman’s visit, but also from Erdogan and Biden’s meeting.

But in the economic field, new positive developments may occur to increase trade between the two countries.

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US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken praised the bilateral relations between Washington and Ankara, saying that Turkey is “an important partner of the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).”

This came during a hypothetical meeting of the US Secretary with foreign media on Wednesday.

Blinken said, “President Joe Biden had a good conversation with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and there are many issues and areas in which they share and work closely.”

He added, “Turkey is an important ally of the United States and NATO, and we have many common regional interests and global interests.”

He also noted that the bilateral relationship between the two countries is “strong”, despite any differences.

He continued, “Like most countries, we have our differences, but we owe Turkey to its respect for these differences, in a clear, direct and sincere manner as we expect from them, and this is what distinguishes our relationship.”

Russian S-400 system

In another context, the US Secretary touched upon the (S-400) missile defense system that Turkey had purchased from Russia.

Noting that their position on this issue is clear, and that it should not be surprising to anyone, as he put it.

He pointed out that they will continue to cooperate with Turkey, adding, “The (S-400) deal came in contradiction to all promises that were made directly.

All allies pledged at the 2016 NATO summit in the Polish capital Warsaw that they would reduce dependence on Russian equipment.

“The purchase of the (S-400) system poses a threat to US security, allied military technology, and personnel,” he said.

At the same time, it undermines cohesion within NATO, with which the United States and Turkey have long allied.

It also severely damages the interoperability needed to meet the challenges facing the Alliance.”

Blinken also pointed out that this system paved the way for Russia’s defense sector and its army to reach Turkey.

He explained that his country “imposed sanctions on Turkey (because of that deal) under the Katsa Act (Combating US opponents through sanctions).”

He expressed his hope that Turkey would find a way out regarding that deal.

“However, it is important now that Turkey, like other allies of the United States, does not buy any weapons from Russia in the future, or does not buy additional batches of (S-400).”

The US Secretary indicated that the purchase of any weapons from Russia in the future may lead to the imposition of new sanctions under the “Katsa” Act.

Events of 1915

On the other hand, Blinken said that President Biden’s recognition of the events of 1915 as “genocide” does not aim to place any blame on Turkey.

He explained, “It is not surprising, because Biden expressed his views that he adopted many years ago, and he was very clear about that.”

He continued: “As the President indicated, the celebration of Memorial Day is a tribute to the victims, not a blame.

Of course, what we focused on related to the events that took place in the last days of the Ottoman Caliphate.”

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The Turkish foreign minister announced that his country is negotiating the purchase of a new series of Russian S-400 missile systems.

According to Russia Today Channel, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu indicated that Turkish institutions, including the Ministry of Defense, are currently studying the purchase of the second series of S-400 air defense systems with the Russian side.

In this regard, the head of the Turkish diplomacy criticized the US position on the deal to purchase Russian S-400 missile systems, saying that Ankara needs these missile systems and has bought them, and it is wrong for Washington to criticize this deal.

The Turkish official also said that if the United States wanted Turkey to buy weapons from Washington, it would ask the United States to offer these weapons at reasonable prices and better terms.

Earlier, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken asked the Turkish foreign minister to stop buying Russian S-400 systems, but Cavusoglu said the deal with Russia was over and we reminded him once again why Turkey bought the S-400. This system has been purchased and its file has been closed.

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In a statement, the US Department of Defense said that US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called on Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar to ask that Ankara not keep the Russian-made S-400 missile defense system.

According to Sputnik, Austin and Akar spoke of instability on the eastern and southern sides of NATO, including the challenges posed by Russia.

The Minister of Defense recalled the importance of working to strengthen cooperation between the US and Turkish armies, and asked Turkey not to keep the Russian-made S-400 missile defense system.

Ankara’s acquisition of the S-400 systems has been a point of contention in US-Turkish relations since July 2019.

Washington has asked Ankara to end the deal and has threatened to cancel the delivery of F-35 fighter jets.

So far, Ankara has resisted and is in talks with Russia to deliver a second shipment of S-400 systems, despite sanctions imposed on the defense sector in December 2020.

According to the Pentagon statement, Austin thanked Akar for Turkey’s role in the mission of resolutely supporting Afghanistan and its support for the ongoing peace process.

According to the Pentagon, the two officials also spoke of positive diplomatic progress and efforts to ease tensions in the eastern Mediterranean.

Austin welcomed the ongoing exploration talks between Turkey and Greece, both NATO allies, and the two governments’ commitment to the process.

The defense minister also stressed cooperation between allies and partners in the Black Sea, including recent exercises that have included USS Monterrey, USS Thomas Hander and Turkish naval assets.

Turkish officials had previously told Sputnik that Ankara’s position on the use of Russian S-400 air defense systems had not changed:

“Turkey does not need US permission for this.”

According to a spokesperson for the Parliamentary Defense Committee, Turkey made its decision on the S-400 long ago and will not back down from that decision.

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