Erdogan: Turkey’s common interests with the United States outweigh differences Recep Tayyip Erdogan News

The Turkish president wants to improve relations between the two NATO allies, which are strained on many issues.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey wants to develop cooperation with the United States in a profitable way, giving a tone of reconciliation against the background of strained relations between Turkey and NATO allies.

As Turkey, we believe that our common interests with America far outweigh our differences. In a televised statement on Saturday, Erdogan said Ankara wanted to strengthen cooperation on a long-term and profitable basis.

Turkey will continue to do its job in a manner worthy of the alliance and strategic partnership between the two countries, he said, adding that Turkey-US relations have been seriously tested recently.

Relations between Turkey and the United States have been strained on many issues in recent years. In December, the United States sanctioned Turkey for purchasing S-400 defense systems from Russia.

Turkey has called for better relations under US President Joe Biden, but has called on Washington to suspend its support for the Kurdish-led People’s Defense Units (YPG) in Syria, accusing him of being with militants who say they have executed 13 Turks. Northern Iraq this month.

Ankara has angered the United States’ support for Kurdish fighters in Syria, which it considers terrorists.

The United States has also criticized Ankara for its comments on human rights and freedoms. The new US administration has sharply condemned Turkey, demanding the release of imprisoned prominent civil society leader Osman Kavala and criticizing homophobic rhetoric in its crackdown on student protesters in recent months.

In addition, a New York court will begin proceedings against Turkey’s state-owned Halkbank in May for allegedly evading sanctions against Iran over its heavy economic blow to Turkey.

Erdogan’s foreign policy adviser, Ibrahim Kalin, said in a telephone interview that he had made the first official contact since Biden took office, adding that the S-400 dispute needed to be resolved by US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken discussed the S-400 dispute and other disagreements in their first meeting.

Turkey has hired Washington-based law firm Arnold & Porter to lobby for its reinstatement in the F-35 jet program, which it bought and manufactured after the United States took over the S-400s.

Washington claims that defense systems pose a threat to F-35s.