2 minutes agoErdogan meets with Biden for the first time after US recognised genocide over Armenians
Periskopi(5 years ago)
(5 years ago)President of the United States of America, Joe Biden and Turkey's president, Tayip Erdogan, were optimistic after their first face-to-face talks Monday, though they did not announce major progress in relations between the two allies, contrary to Russian arms, Syria, Libya and other issues. We had one [...]
“We had a positive and productive meeting”, Biden said at a press conference after their meeting in Brussels. “Our teams will continue our discussions and I am confident that we will make real progress with Turkey and the United States,”, he added, Reuters reported.
Erdogan characterised his talks with Beden near the NATO summit as <x0-producing and honest”.
“We think there are no issues between US and Turkey that are inconsistent and that the areas of co-operation for us are richer and bigger than problems,” he said.
Despite their optimistic tone, no one provided details about exactly how they would regulate the relationship or open steps that would help alleviate tensions among NATO allies. Turkey, with NATO's second largest army, has angered its allies in the Western military alliance by buying Russian land-air missiles and by interfering in the wars in Syria and Libya, also in a confrontation with Greece and Cyprus on territory in the eastern Mediterranean. As president, Biden has adopted a much colder tone than predecessor Donald Trump towards Erdogan.
Beden recognised the massacre of Armenians in 1915 as genocide a position that angers Turkey and increased criticism of Turkey's human rights. Washington has already removed Ankara from the F-35 combat aircraft programme and imposed sanctions on Turkey's purchase of Russian-air missiles S-400.
