Turkish, US presidents agree on greater cooperation
ANKARA
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden spoke over the phone on April 23 and discussed bilateral relations, the Turkish Communications Directorate said.
Erdoğan and Biden agreed on the strategic character of the bilateral relationship and the importance of working together to build greater cooperation on issues of mutual interest, said a directorate statement.
The Turkish president noted that addressing the issues of FETÖ presence in the U.S. and Washington’s support for the PKK/PYD terror group in Syria is important to advancing relations between the two countries, it added.
The two leaders have agreed to meet on the sidelines of the NATO Leaders' Summit in June.
The meeting will take place on the sidelines of the June 14 NATO leader meeting in Brussels, Belgium, and will be used "to discuss the full range of bilateral and regional issues," the White House said after the call.
During the conversation Biden conveyed "his interest in a constructive bilateral relationship with expanded areas of cooperation and effective management of disagreements," it added.
It was the first phone contact between Erdogan and Biden since the U.S. president assumed office in January.
According to diplomatic sources late on April 23, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu also held a phone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to follow up on the issues discussed by Erdoğan and Biden.
Top Turkish, US officials discuss bilateral ties
Turkey’s presidential spokesman and U.S. national security advisor on April 23 evaluated issues discussed by their presidents, according to an official statement.
Presidential spokesman İbrahim Kalın and U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan expressed satisfaction during a telephone call about a decision by the leaders of both nations to meet at the NATO Leaders' Summit, said a Turkish presidential statement.
The men also expressed the importance of prioritizing strategic and common interests in Turkey and U.S. relations within the frame of mutual respect despite current disagreements.
