Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan announced on Monday that he plans to talk to Trump – who took office in the last few hours as the 47th president of the United States – about ending the war between Ukraine and Russia, assuring that Turkey – which has played a key mediating role in the conflict – is ready to take whatever steps are necessary to end the war.
Speaking at a press conference on the occasion of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s visit to Ankara, and reported by Turkish agencies, Erdoğan referred to Trump’s repeated assertions that he will end the war in Ukraine: ‘If he says ‘I will put an end to this war’, then Turkey is ready to contribute in any way necessary, because we are firmly on the side of peace,’ the Turkish leader stressed, adding that “nothing can be achieved through war” and that “peace is the only way forward”.
‘We will address this issue in my talks with Mr Trump, and we will take steps accordingly,’ said Erdoğan, who lamented the lack of progress in reopening the so-called Black Sea Grain Corridor: ’Although 30 million tonnes of grain were shipped, many in Africa and other regions are still suffering from hunger. We continue to negotiate with all parties involved to address this critical issue,’ he said.
Turkey-US relations
Regarding future relations between Turkey and the United States, the Turkish politician expressed optimism and confidence in the ‘continuity of friendship’ between him and Donald Trump. ‘Our friendly relationship during the first term is still very important for us… I am confident that our discussions will yield positive results for both countries,’ he said.
On this issue, Erdoğan was again clear in referring to Washington’s support for the YPG, the Syrian branch of the PKK, considered a terrorist group by Turkey and other countries and organisations, including the EU, NATO and the USA itself, and showed confidence that the new administration in the White House will reconsider its stance on this issue, which for years has been a major point of friction between Turkey and the US.
‘Our expectations are clear: we want the US to end its support for terrorist organisations such as the PKK/YPG,’ Erdoğan said, recalling Turkey’s important role in ensuring regional security as a key partner and ally in NATO. ‘We believe that constructive steps (by the Trump administration) in this direction will strengthen our partnership and contribute to stability in the region,’ concluded the Turkish president, who also called for the lifting of sanctions against Syria to boost the country’s reconstruction.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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