US, Turkey discuss bilateral ties, regional issues
The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu discussed bilateral issues in a New York meeting on Tuesday.
The two top diplomats also held talks over regional issues including the Ukraine war and tensions in the South Caucasus, on the sidelines of the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA77).
The United States and Turkey are seeking to strengthen bilateral relations fractured by the latter’s acquisition of Russian S-400 air defence systems in 2019, that have resulted in its expulsion from a F-35 fifth generation fighter jet development programme. Washington and Ankara in April launched a mechanism to resolve differences and deepen ties, to honor a commitment made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his US counterpart Joe Biden during a meeting in Rome in October last year.
The two NATO allies are also at odds over policies such as in Syria and Greece. The United States frequently raises concern about the trajectory of democracy and human rights in Turkey.
According to a written statement by the U.S. State Department Spokesperson Ned Price, Blinken and Cavusoglu discussed tensions in the South Caucasus, and the Secretary said that the United States continues to engage to facilitate dialogue between Azerbaijan and Armenia and help achieve a long-term political settlement to the conflict.
The two also discussed ways to advance coordination and NATO unity in response to Russia’s war against Ukraine, the statement said.
Blinken commended Turkish diplomatic efforts to ensure continued shipment of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea and emphasized the importance of maintaining UN brokered agreements and holding Moscow accountable for the commitments it has made, according to the statement.
Cavusoglu also shared photos of his meeting with Blinken via social media on Tuesday, saying that they discussed bilateral issues, the war in Ukraine and other regional developments.
BM Genel Kurulu marjında ABD Dışişleri Bakanı Blinken'la ikili ilişkilerimizi ve başta Ukrayna’daki gelişmeler olmak üzere bölgesel konuları ele aldık.
— Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu (@MevlutCavusoglu) September 20, 2022
Met @SecBlinken of USA on the margins of #UNGA77. Discussed bilateral issues, the war in Ukraine & regional developments.???????????????? pic.twitter.com/bYFbi2uTNh
