US proposed working together with Türkiye on Syria: Çavuşoğlu
WASHINGTON
The United States has proposed to launch a new study and cooperation with Türkiye on Syria, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has said, reiterating that this can be possible only after the former gains Türkiye’s confidence by keeping the promises it gave in the past years.
Çavuşoğlu was in Washington D.C. late on Jan. 18 to hold the second ministers’ level Türkiye-U.S. Strategic Mechanism meeting with his counterpart, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
At a press conference at the Turkish Embassy in Washington after the meeting, Çavuşoğlu explained the main titles discussed between him and Blinken. The Syrian conflict, the U.S.’ continued support to the YPG, Türkiye’s request for buying 40 new F-16s and NATO’s expansion with Sweden and Finland were among the top issues.
On Syria, Çavuşoğlu said the U.S. side has proposed cooperation and engagement with Türkiye, a development that comes after Türkiye and Syria launched talks with the mediation of Russia.
“In order to cooperate on Syria and other issues, we told them today that our confidence has been tarnished because the U.S. did not keep its earlier promises,” Çavuşoğlu said, referring to deals between the two countries for the withdrawal of the YPG off 30 kilometers from the Turkish borders.
The YPG is the U.S.’ main partner in fighting the ISIL despite Ankara’s years-long urging that the group is actually the Syrian leg of the PKK and aiming to divide Syria.
Çavuşoğlu told reporters that he advised Blinken to appoint a special representative for Syria in order for Washington to pay more attention to the political process in this country and to overcome the political impasse.
The Turkish foreign minister also repeated Ankara’s demand for cutting ties with the YPG in northern Syria. “We have expressed our concerns over this but at the same time we have also expressed our determination in fighting against the YPG/PYD,” Çavuşoğlu said.
F-16 sale also important for NATO
Çavuşoğlu said Türkiye’s demand to supply F-16s from the U.S. is not only going to increase the defense of Türkiye but also the NATO’s and that Blinken informed him about the ongoing congressional process for the approval of the F-16s.
On a question, Çavuşoğlu rejected any link between Türkiye’s ratification of the accession of Sweden and Finland into NATO and the U.S. congressional approval of the F-16s sale. “But of course, many people have been saying that Türkiye’s approval of Sweden and Finland will have a positive impact on the U.S. Congress. This is nothing new. We have been aware of it for a long-time,” Çavuşoğlu said.
“What is important here is whether the [U.S.] administration will continue to stay in a determined way [for the sale of F-16s],” the minister said, acknowledging that there are still important figures at the Senate in opposition to this transfer, such as Bob Menendez.
As for Sweden and Finland’s accession, Çavuşoğlu recalled a trilateral agreement between the three countries signed in June 2022 and therefore this process is running on its own path. “There are steps these countries should take,” he said, stressing Sweden is “at the bottom of the ladder.”
The minister said the third meeting of the Joint Mechanism between Türkiye, Sweden and Finland will soon take place.
U.S broke Turkish-Greek balance
On the Turkish-Greek ties and Washington’s policies, Çavuşoğlu reiterated that the U.S. has broken its traditional balance policy to the advantage of Greece and Greek Cyprus recently.
“Now the Greek Cypriot side will be able to buy weapons. Against who? The Turkish Cypriots, Türkiye,” Çavuşoğlu said, denouncing Washington’s reasoning in regard to lifting the arms embargo on Greek Cyprus.
“[They lifted the embargo] because Greek Cyprus is in better cooperation [with the U.S.] on money laundering. If it is about money laundering, then different ways could be used to reward [Greek Cyprus]. Supplying weapons means breaking the balance. We call on the U.S. to pursue a balanced policy,” he stated.