ANKARA, Turkey—U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Feb. 20 in Ankara.
Talks focused largely on the aftermath of twin earthquakes that recently struck southern Turkey, leaving tens of thousands dead and causing widespread destruction.
But they also served to highlight the tensions that continue to dog relations between the two NATO allies.
At a joint press conference held after the meeting, Blinken admitted that the two countries “don’t agree on every issue.” However, he went on to stress that U.S.–Turkey relations had “withstood many challenges.”
He also said Washington would support disaster-hit Turkey “for as long as it takes.”
Cavusoglu, for his part, said the two countries shouldn’t wait to improve their relations until there are further crises—natural or otherwise.
But he also aired some of Turkey’s longstanding grievances with U.S. foreign policy, especially Washington’s continued support of the YPG, the Syrian offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
On Feb. 6, 10 provinces of southern Turkey were rocked by back-to-back earthquakes measuring 7.7 and 7.6 in magnitude.
Turkey’s disaster management agency has since put the death toll at more than 41,000. But with thousands still missing, that figure is expected to rise considerably in the days and weeks ahead.
The quakes also affected northern Syria, where more than 4,000 people were killed and hundreds of buildings destroyed.
On Feb. 19, Blinken arrived at the U.S. military’s Incirlik Airbase in Turkey’s southern Adana Province. From there, he traveled to the nearby city of Antakya, capital of the quake-hit Hatay Province.
In Hatay, Blinken and Cavusoglu took a helicopter tour of quake-affected areas in order to survey the damage.
Speaking via Twitter, Blinken said he was “profoundly saddened” to see the devastation firsthand. The United States, he added, “remains committed to doing everything we can to help with rescue, relief, and recovery efforts.”
Following the disaster, the United States dispatched medical supplies, machinery, and a search-and-rescue team to quake-affected regions of Turkey.
F-16 Deal, Nordic NATO Bids in Limbo
Blinken’s expressions of solidarity, however, did not obscure the fact that U.S.–Turkish relations remain beset by tensions.Bilateral ties have been strained since 2019, when Turkey purchased a handful of advanced S-400 missile-defense systems from Russia.
Washington retaliated by sanctioning Turkey’s defense industry and blocking Ankara’s planned purchase of U.S. F-16 warplanes.
At the joint press conference in Ankara, Cavusoglu said he and Blinken had discussed the $20-billion F-16 deal, which has remained in limbo for the past four years.
Recent weeks have seen speculation that the United States could drop its objections to the F-16 sale if Turkey approved a joint bid to join NATO by Finland and Sweden.
Until now, Turkey has vetoed the joint NATO bid—a right it enjoys as an alliance member. Turkey accuses the two Nordic countries of harboring members of the PKK, which Ankara, along with Washington and Brussels, considers a terrorist group.
Cavusoglu told reporters that the F-16 sale would benefit both Turkey and the United States—but he ruled out any preconditions attached to the sale.
He also urged the Biden administration to act “decisively” on the issue in the face of congressional opposition to the deal.
Blinken appeared to agree, saying the sale of the sought-after warplanes to Turkey was in both countries’ “national and security interest” and crucial to “NATO interoperability.”
Cavusoglu also used the occasion to urge Washington to lift the sanctions imposed on Turkey’s defense industry.
“The sanctions are hindering defense cooperation with the United States,” he said. “We hope to see them lifted as soon as possible.”
Regarding Turkish approval for the Nordic NATO bids, Cavusoglu said this would depend on subsequent actions by Sweden.
Turkey has recently hinted that it could approve Finland’s NATO application separately.
It has shown greater opposition to Sweden’s bid, especially after a Danish politician publicly burnt a Quran—the Muslim holy book—at a rally in Stockholm last month.
Syrian Quagmire, Russia Complicate Ties
But the greatest irritant to relations is Washington’s continued support of the YPG, the PKK’s Syrian affiliate.Despite the YPG’s close association with the PKK, Washington has continued to support the group, which it uses as an ostensible bulwark against the ISIS terrorist organization in Syria.
Speaking in Ankara, Cavusoglu described the practice of backing terrorist groups as a “fatal mistake.” He also challenged the notion that the YPG was, in fact, effectively combatting ISIS.
Turkey’s top diplomat also blamed the United States for failing to honor earlier pledges to withdraw YPG militants from positions in northern Syria.
Blinken, repeating a familiar refrain, said the United States recognized Ankara’s “legitimate security concerns” and would “stand side by side” with Turkey “in confronting common security challenges.”
The sensitive issue of Turkey’s relations with Russia also came up in discussions between Blinken and Cavusoglu.
Ankara was quick to condemn Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine when it happened almost one year ago. But Turkey has declined to support Western-led sanctions on Russia, with which it shares extensive trade relations and a lengthy maritime border.
Speaking in Ankara, Cavusoglu dismissed Western claims that Turkey was re-exporting EU products to Russia, including electronic components that could be used for military purposes.
Requesting documentary proof of the allegation, he said, “If there’s any violation in this regard, Turkey will take the appropriate action.”
Blinken, for his part, praised Turkey’s “clear voice in support of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
He also noted the “personal role” played by Cavusoglu in brokering a deal between Russia and Ukraine last summer that allowed the latter to ship grain exports through the Black Sea.
Blinken also commended Turkey’s many “contributions” to NATO, which it joined more than 70 years ago.
The United States, he said, sought to strengthen and further expand NATO, “including through the accession of Sweden and Finland, which will help deliver stronger and more capable assets to the alliance.”
