Türkiye-US partnership stronger than ever: Envoy

ANKARA

The strategic partnership between Türkiye and the United States is witnessing an unprecedentedly robust phase today, U.S. Ambassador to Ankara Jeff Flake has said.

"I believe our strategic partnership is stronger than ever, and when I compare our current situation to the period when I participated in confirmation hearings in the Senate before coming here, I see a significant difference," Flake said in an interview with private broadcaster CNN Türk on June 12.

He attributed a substantial part of the advancement in relations to Türkiye’s strategic and mediating stance concerning the Russia-Ukraine war.

"A large portion of this is related to Türkiye’s response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and whether this response aligned with the behavior expected of a true NATO ally. This means a great deal to us, and when I talk to my former colleagues on Capitol Hill, I see that the atmosphere has changed just in the past few years."

Addressing the U.S. military buildup in Greece's Alexandroupoli near the Turkish border, Flake clarified that this was not related to Ankara and was instead to support defense efforts in Ukraine.

"I can say this unequivocally. Türkiye is our partner. We are not engaging in a buildup against it. We are concerned about what is happening in Ukraine and are doing everything we can to support it."

"The buildup in Greece is merely a logistical effort. We do not prefer one ally over another. Türkiye and Greece have decided that the Aegean should be a sea of peace."

Erdoğan invited to White House

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his American counterpart, Joe Biden, will meet if their schedules align, the ambassador said, adding that the U.S. administration has invited Erdoğan to the White House.

This meeting could also take place during the NATO summit in Washington in July, he said.

Speaking on the legitimacy-seeking efforts of the PKK's Syrian offshoot, the YPG, via local election campaigns, the ambassador reiterated that the U.S. does not support this endeavor.

"We have always said that any election in Syria must be fair, transparent, free and inclusive. These conditions are not currently met, so we do not support any current elections."