Trump could ‘whisper’ in Erdoğan’s ear to curb Turkey’s regional ambitions

Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said that in an interview with Fox News on Friday, warning of Turkey’s expansionist ambitions. Speaking to Caitlin McFall of Fox News, Dendias voiced concerns over Turkey’s geopolitical actions in the Mediterranean, Aegean and Black seas, suggesting that some in Turkey aspire to restore Ottoman-era influence over parts of Greece, Syria, Iraq, Iran and the Caucasus. He described this as a challenge to NATO stability and international law (Read more at Turkish Minute).

Decision on US troops in Syria pending amid talks with Turkey

Trump has conditioned the pullout on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan restoring ties with Israel. Turkey has long opposed the US military presence in Syria due to Washington’s support for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The US has recently doubled its troop presence in Syria, increasing the numbers from 900 to around 2,000, following the December 8 ousting of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (Read more at Turkish Minute).

Turkish Cyprus slams Greek ‘warmongering’ after US arms decree

Days before he handed over his duty to Donald Trump, U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday issued a directive to boost his country's aid to Greek Cypriots by issuing a memorandum that makes the southern side eligible to receive American defense articles, military sales and training (Read more at Daily Sabah).

Turkey sidelines France in favour of US partnership in northeast Syria

Turkey's chief diplomat has ruled out French military support in Syria after accusing France of ignoring Ankara’s security needs, saying it preferred partnering with the United States to diffuse Kurdish tensions in the country’s northeast (Read more at France 24).

Turkey to tell U.S. that Syria needs to be rid of terrorists

Turkish officials will tell U.S. Under Secretary of State John Bass during talks in Ankara this week that Syria needs to be rid of terrorist groups to achieve stability and security. The YPG spearheads the U.S.-allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which played an important role in defeating Islamic State in Syria (Read more at Reuters).

Turkish FM discusses with Blinken need to cooperate with new Syrian administration

It is needed to ensure the completion of the transition period in an orderly manner, the ministry said. In a phone call, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told Blinken that Ankara would not allow Kurdish YPG militia to take shelter in Syria, the ministry spokesperson said (Read more at Reuters). 

US neutral on potential Turkey-Syria deal

The US called on all parties in the Eastern Mediterranean to avoid actions that could escalate tensions, emphasizing the need for regional resource development to foster collaboration, energy security, and economic stability (Read more at Ekathimerini).

Washington Must Address Turks’ Ignorance and Detachment from Reality

This represents a strategic own goal. To invest in a Creole service but ignore a country of nearly 90 million people is national security negligence. Turkey today is among the most anti-American countries on earth; according to the Pew Research Center, Russians have a more positive attitude toward the United States than Turks. Yet neither Democratic nor Republican administrations address the problem by effectively countering Erdoğan’s poisonous, terror-sympathizing, and racist ideology and narratives (Read more at American Enterprise Institute).

US senators seek Turkey sanctions, citing military action in Syria

Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham  introduced the "Countering Turkish Aggression Act of 2024" in the hope the sanctions threat would move the parties toward a ceasefire. But they said Washington should work with Turkey diplomatically to facilitate a sustained ceasefire and demilitarized zone between Turkey and Syria (Read more at Reuters).

US exempts Turkey from Russian Gazprombank sanctions

Last month, the US Treasury said Gazprombank and its six foreign subsidiaries were subject to sanctions due to their involvement in the Ukraine war. US officials accuse the bank of facilitating payments to Russian soldiers. Turkey, which imported more than 40 percent of its natural gas from Russia last year, paid billions of dollars for these imports through the bank (Read more at Middle East Eye).

US warns of imminent Turkish offensive in Syria

Unnamed US officials have warned that Washington is increasingly concerned that Turkiye and its allied militias in northern Syria – predominantly under the umbrella of the Syrian National Army (SNA) – are preparing for a large-scale military incursion into Syrian territory controlled by US-backed Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Citing a reported significant Turkish military build-up and presence – including the deployment of uniformed Turkish commandos, artillery units and allied militias to strategic positions along the border – near the town of Kobani, or Ayn Al-Arab, the officials told the paper that the movements resembled those seen ahead of Turkiye’s 2019 incursion into northern Syria, with one warning that “a cross-border operation could be imminent” yet again (Read more at Middle East Monitor).

Ceasefire between Turkey and US-backed rebels extended

The ceasefire around the northern Syrian city of Manbij has been extended until the end of this week. Washington brokered an initial ceasefire last week after fighting that broke out earlier this month.  State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said, "We continue to engage with the SDF, with Turkey about a path forward." (read more at Reuters) 

Trump says Turkey is behind collapse of Assad

He added Turkey wanted control of Syria 'for thousands of years' and now they have it. "He's a very smart guy and he's very tough. But Turkey did an unfriendly takeover without a lot of lives being lost. I can say Assad was a butcher, what he did to children," Trump said during a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, adding that he didn't know what the outcome of Assad's collapse would be (Read more at Middle East Eye).

US rushes to contain Turkey-backed offensive against SDF in Syria

Washington was caught off guard by the rapid overthrow of Assad by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)-aligned forces, which occurred in just 11 days. Reports suggest that US officials had been attempting to negotiate a deal with Assad that would have normalised his position in exchange for severing ties with Hezbollah and Iran. The US has expressed concern over Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) operations targeting the SDF, a US partner force (Read more at Middle East Eye).

Trump picks ambassadors to Turkey

Tom Barrack, the chair of his 2016 inaugural committee, has been chosen as the next ambassador to Turkey. He is a longtime friend of the Republican president-elect. He’s also a private equity executive and has previously been charged with unlawfully acting as an agent of the United Arab Emirates and was acquitted in 2022 of all nine counts he faced (Read more at Cyprus Mail).

Family of Turkish-American woman killed by Israel to meet Blinken

They call for an independent US-led probe into her killing. Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old Seattle resident and a new graduate of the University of Washington, was fatally shot by Israeli forces during a protest in the West Bank against illegal Israeli settlements on September 6 amid Israel’s war in Gaza. “For the last three months, Blinken and State Department officials have repeatedly told us to wait for Israel, the government whose army perpetrated the crime against Ayşenur, to investigate itself. This cannot stand,” Özden Bennett, Eygi’s sister, said in a statement (Read more at Turkish Minute).

Turkey's Halkbank Loses Latest Bid to Avoid US Prosecution in Sanctions Case

A U.S. appeals court on Friday rejected a request by Türkiye’s Halkbank to reconsider a ruling that allows the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to prosecute the state-owned bank for allegedly helping Iran evade U.S. sanctions (Read more at Turkiyetoday).

Turkish competition body ends Meta probe over Threads data-sharing

Türkiye's competition authority said on Thursday that it has decided to terminate an investigation of Meta Platforms regarding data-sharing between its social media platforms Threads and Instagram (Read more at Daily Sabah).

Top Turkish and American Diplomats Share Call Amid Major Escalation in Syria

A Turkish foreign ministry source with knowledge of the call stated that Fidan assured Blinken of Ankara’s opposition to developments that could destabilize the region. He expressed support for a “finalized” political solution to formally end hostilities between the different rebel factions and Assad’s government while also reiterating Turkey’s stance on concerns surrounding Kurdish terrorist threats (Read more at Media Line).

Türkiye scraps 79 modernization kits from F-16 jet deal with US

This is why we gave up: Our Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ) facilities are capable of carrying out this modernization on their own, so we deferred to them," Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler said (Read more at Daily Sabah).

Erdogan opposes Ukraine use of U.S. long range missiles

Turkey, a Black Sea neighbour of both Russia and Ukraine, also opposes Western sanctions against Moscow, with which it shares important defence, energy and tourism ties (Read more at MSN).

US warns Turkey against hosting Hamas leaders

"We don’t believe the leaders of a vicious terrorist organisation should be living comfortably anywhere," US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said, adding that this especially applies in the Turkish capital — a "major city of one of our key allies and partners" (Read more at Euronews).

Turkiye pressing US to rethink Kurdish alliance in Syria

“We are constantly reminding our American counterparts that they need to stop the cooperation they have with the terrorist organisation in Syria,” Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan (Read more at Middle East Monitor)

Erdogan’s ‘friend’ Trump played role in strained Turkey-U.S. ties

President Tayyip Erdogan called Donald Trump a “friend” in welcoming his return to the White House. Here are some of the rifts between Washington and Ankara: defence, sanctions, NATO, Syria, the pastor and the lira crash, Turkey-Russia ties (Read more at Swissinfo).

Eying reset in ties, Erdogan invites Trump to visit Turkey

Outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden did not visit Turkey during his term and Erdogan's planned White House visit early this year fell through with little explanation, underlining the cool relations. Trump's election victory this week was generally met with cheer in NATO-member Turkey, with markets rallying and some officials cautiously optimistic about prospects for new U.S. economic policies (Read more at Reuters).

Erdoğan hopes Trump will stop war in Middle East, Ukraine

He also suggested that the war in Ukraine could be resolved quickly if the U.S. administration adopts a solution-focused approach. "Mr. Trump cutting off the arms support provided to Israel could be a good start in order to stop the Israeli aggression in Palestinian and Lebanese lands," he said. (Read more at Duvar).

Turkey hopes for lower US tariffs under Trump, lira rallies

Lira and Turkish assets rally on Trump's victory. Investors see potential benefits for Turkey's economic program. Turkey's aggressive rate hikes cool inflation, boost reserves (Read more at Reuters).

US sanctions 400 entities aiding Russia’s war, including Turkish firms, individuals

The US Treasury Department announced sweeping sanctions against 275 individuals and entities in countries including India, China, Switzerland and Turkey aimed at “disrupting global evasion networks.” (Read more at Turkish Minute).

Turkish public’s NATO support rises as distrust of US persists

Despite Turkey’s longstanding membership in NATO, only 42 percent of respondents expressed favorable views of the alliance. However, this marks a substantial increase from just 21 percent in 2019, with analysts attributing the shift to Turkey’s evolving position following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Younger Turks under 35 are more open to Western powers, with 29 percent expressing favorable opinions of the United States, compared to just 7 percent among those 50 and older. US President Joe Biden garnered only 8 percent confidence among Turkish respondents (Read more at Turkish Minute).

Halkbank Iran Sanctions Case Can Go Forward, US Court Says

The decision by the US Court of Appeals in Manhattan could remove legal obstacle to the longstanding case proceeding to trial. Last year, the US Supreme Court ruled Halkbank wasn’t shielded from prosecution by a US statute granting immunity to governments for official acts (Read more at MSN).

US moved 1000 citizens out of Lebanon via Turkey

"It's the fastest, safest way to get Americans out of harm's way," Consul General Julie Eadeh said in an interview in Istanbul. Ten of 12 U.S. chartered flights from Beirut have arrived in Istanbul carrying 1,025 citizens and immediate family members since Oct. 2, according to another U.S. official (Read more at AOL).

New York Mayor Adams charged in Turkey bribery, fraud scheme

US prosecutors on Thursday charged New York City Mayor Eric Adams with accepting illegal campaign contributions and luxury travel from Turkish nationals seeking to influence him, capping an investigation that has sent the largest US city’s government into turmoil. In a 57-page indictment, prosecutors laid out an alleged scheme stretching back to 2014 that helped to underwrite Adams’ 2021 mayoral campaign and showered him with free rooms at opulent hotels and meals at high-end restaurants (Read more at Indian Express).

Turkey's Erdogan says he hopes new U.S. president heralds better ties

Speaking to Turkish journalists in New York before leaving the U.N. General Assembly, Erdogan said Turkey still wanted to be reimbursed for the money it spent on F-35 fighter jets after being removed from the jet programme over the Russian purchases. "My hope is that whoever comes does not make us miss the outgoing one," Erdogan was cited as saying. "They all made us experience this disappointment. The Republicans and Democrats." (Read more at Reuters).

Erdogan calls on the US to lift sanctions on various sectors

The US imposed sanctions on Turkey as a result of a lack of consensus on particular issues, including Gaza. The measures include “additional customs duties in the iron, steel, and aluminium sectors, along with investigations and CAATSA sanctions.” During the in New York with American and Turkish businesspeople at the 15th Turkey Investment Conference hosted by the Turkey-US Business Council (TAİK), Erdogan stated that the United States has been Turkey’s second-largest export market and fifth-largest source of imports for the past two years, with bilateral trade exceeding $30 billion in 2023 (Read more at Al24news).

Relations with US remain unchanged regardless of who is elected president

Erdoğan’s remarks came during a meeting on Sunday with representatives from US think tanks at Turkish House on the sidelines of a UN meeting in New York. Erdoğan said just like the rest of the world, Turkey is also closely following the elections in the United States, ruling out any possibility of a change in the relationship due to the outcome of the polls (Read more at Turkish Minute).

US seeks control of S-400s in exchange for Turkey’s return to F-35 program

The United States submitted a detailed proposal to Turkey to transfer the Russian system to the US-controlled part of İncirlik Airbase in southern Turkey. The proposal will reportedly not put Turkey in a difficult situation since neither the terms of its contract with Russia nor any binding clauses will be violated (Read more at Turkish Minute).

Turkey Condemns Cyprus-US Defence Co-Operation Roadmap

The US steps, including last June’s announcement of the launch of a strategic dialogue with Cyprus, are detrimental to the security of the Turkish Cypriot side of the island, the Turkish foreign ministry said. “These steps … undermine the neutral USA position towards the island of Cyprus and make it more difficult to reach a just, lasting and sustainable settlement of the Cyprus issue,” it said in a statement (Read more at Cyprus-Mail)

US increases pressure on Turkiye's banking operations with Russia

All sources of transfers from and to Russia are being checked, and bank accounts [for Russian citizens] are being opened under increased control of head offices (Read more at Almayadeen).

Body of US-Turkish citizen shot in West Bank to be returned to Turkey

A Symbolic funeral held for Aysenur Eygi in Palestinian city of Nablus before her body is transported to Turkey. Turkish authorities are continuing efforts to bring Ms Eygi's body from the West Bank to Turkey (Read more at The National).

Meta removes TRT Arabi documentary on Israeli attacks against journalists

The Turkish Radio Television's documentary "Journalism Under Genocide," which exposes Israeli military crimes against journalists, was deleted from Facebook (Read more at TRTWorld).

United States respects Turkish plan to join BRICS

the United States, has been quiet so far on Türkiye’s intention to join the BRICS alliance of developing markets. However, a spokesperson for the White House’s National Security Council broke the silence on the matter. Speaking to the Turkish edition of Voice of America, the spokesperson said in a written statement that the U.S. believed that countries (Read more at Daily Sabah).

Two US soldiers assaulted by nationalist youth group in Turkey

Fifteen suspected assailants were detained after attack in port city of Izmir. Police intervened in the incident and authorities are conducting an investigation (Read more at Guardian).

Erdogan 'played' Trump and lied to him on Syria

Turkish President "played" Donald Trump and convinced him that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would be the inevitable winner of the Syrian civil war and to withdraw US forces from parts of northern Syria to allow Turkish forces to remove Syrian Kurdish armed elements. Erdogan described continued arms transfers to the SDF as a waste of money. McMaster says, on the contrary, Trump had never ordered him to stop the delivery of weapons (Read more at Middle East Eye).

United States Asking Turkey to Prevail on Iran to De-Escalate Tensions

The U.S. ambassador to Turkey,  Jeff Flake, said, "we ask all of our allies that have any relations with Iran to prevail on them to de-escalate, and that includes Turkey." (Read more at USNews)

Turkey adjusted timing of US-Russia prisoner swap to allow Biden to watch it live

On 1 August, Turkey's National Intelligence Organization (MIT) orchestrated the exchange of 26 detainees from prisons in the US, Germany, Poland, Russia and other countries. After the exchange, Biden held a news conference where he personally expressed his gratitude to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (Read more at Middle East Eye).

Turkiye pleased with US F-16 jets deal, says defence minister

Defence Minister Yasar Guler has said Turkiye wants to improve its ties with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), but its priority is fulfilling its responsibilities to NATO (Read more at Middle East Monitor).

Communications chief highlights importance of Türkiye-US cooperation

Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said "We strongly believe that the relationship between Türkiye and the U.S. hold potential to develop peace, security, and prosperity-based approaches to regional and global concerns while adhering to the tenets of alliance and strategic partnerships." (Read more at DailySabah).

Turkey's Erdogan Postpones Tentative White House Visit

The visit had been tentatively planned for May 9. That would have been the first bilateral visit to Washington since 2019 when Erdogan met with then President Donald Trump, a Republican. A White House spokesperson said: “We look forward to hosting President Erdogan at the White House at a mutually convenient time, but we have not been able to align our schedules and do not have any visit to announce at this time." (Read more at USNews).

US President Biden to host Turkey's Erdoğan for first time on May 9

The meeting would mark the warming relations between the nations, after a period of strained ties. A U.S. official said Washington sees the meeting as an opportunity for Erdoğan to agree to a full ban on the transshipment via Turkey of dual-use goods that it says Russia uses in its war effort in Ukraine (Read more at duvarenglish).

To woo Washington, Erdogan will sell out Palestine

Although a Washington–Ankara rapprochement is still in its nascent stage, recent developments reveal the old allies are on a positive trajectory to repair bilateral relations after a period of strained diplomatic ties. While the Turkish president is stepping up anti-Zionist rhetoric on his domestic front, his administration maintains substantial economic ties with Israel. It makes clear Turkiye's shift toward prioritizing strategic interests over ideological ones (Read more at The Cradle).

Turkey, US Discuss Ukraine, Gaza, and Bilateral Ties

Fidan said Turkey maintained its position on Syria and over the F-35s, saying Ankara was owed jets for the payment and work it did as a manufacturer. He said Turkey was open to discussing the matter but Washington needed to be "open minded" (Read more at USNews).

US expert promotes Turkish-US education, innovation cooperation

he U.S. Mission in Türkiye brought international education and innovation expert Geoffrey Watson to Ankara and Istanbul this week as part of its ongoing efforts to promote U.S.-Turkish cooperation in higher education and educational technology. Watson is the President and Chief Business Officer of the Minerva Project, a San Francisco-based startup that aims to revolutionize higher education (Read more at DailySabah).

Immediate cease-fire needed in Gaza: Türkiye tells US

The meeting also highlighted the necessity for the Ukraine war not to prolong further, and emphasized that the resolution should be within the "territorial and political integrity of Ukraine." He also urged the U.S. to sever its ties with the PKK's affiliated terrorist groups (Read more at DailySabah).

US Senate soundly defeats bid to stop F-16 sale to Türkiye

The Senate voted 79 to 13 against a resolution of disapproval of $23 billion sale of 40 Lockheed Martin F-16s and nearly 80 modernization kits to Türkiye, introduced by Republican Sen. Rand Paul. Before the vote, Paul criticized Türkiye's government and said allowing the sale would, what he called, embolden its "misbehavior." Backers of the sale said it was important for Washington to keep its word to a NATO ally (Read more at Daily Sabah).

Türkiye is focused on F-16s rather than F-35s: President Erdogan

Türkiye, in October 2021, requested 40 new F-16 Block 70 aircraft and 79 modernisation kits from the US to upgrade its remaining F-16s to Block 70 level (Read more at TRTWorld).

Here’s what uncoordinated US withdrawal from Syria means for Trukey

It’s bad for many partners, but especially Turkey. While Ankara may favor a future US withdrawal from Syria, it desires US coordination. An uncoordinated withdrawal leaves the country alone against Tehran, Moscow, Damascus, and the YPG. They would probably aim to expel Turkey from Syria (Read more at Atlantic Council).

Biden, Erdogan ride wave of momentum after Turkey's NATO vote, F-16 sale

One expert expects that Erdogan will pay a visit to the White House in the near term as the two parties bridge key differences. The decision by Turkey to appoint a career diplomat as the country's top envoy in the US capital reflects its desire to maintain the current upward trajectory of their relations (Read more at Al Monitor).

Sedat Onal, Ankara's new ambassador to Washington

He is a graduate of international relations at Ankara University and had represented Ankara in New York from 1998 to 2002. He then assumed the role of Counselor at the Embassy of Türkiye in Tehran from 2002 to 2005. He has been Türkiye's permanent representative to the UN in New York since February 2023 (Read more at TRTWorld).

US export ban on UAE, Turkey, others for supporting Russia's war in Ukraine

Of the new entities listed, 4 from the UAE, 16 from Turkey, 63 were from Russia, and  8 from China. The action taken one day before the 2nd anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine means banning U.S. shipments to them (Read more at USNews).

US hails Türkiye's efforts to mitigate impact of Russia-Ukraine war

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasian Affairs Yuri Kim said: Very, very unfortunate that Putin has not reciprocated President Erdogan’s goodwill, and that grain initiative has now become defunct. We know that Erdogan has a special place in his heart for the Tatar community in Crimea, and we hope that he will continue to coordinate closely with us (Read more at TRT World).

Exclusive-Turkish-Russian Trade Hit by Fresh US Sanctions Threat

The U.S. executive order in December did not explicitly target energy but it has complicated some Turkish payments for Russian crude as well as Russian payments for a broader range of Turkish exports. A source with a Russian oil major said Russian oil exporters have not received payments from Turkey for two to three weeks (Read more at USNews).

Can the F-16 Deal Revive the Turkish-American Partnership

Various geopolitical disruptions can remind both sides of the added value they generate from working in harmony. The US withdraw from Afghanistan is one such example, where Türkiye and the United States quickly saw merit in cooperating to boost security at the Kabul airport. The war in Ukraine is another example ranging from the grain deal to Black Sea security. The same could happen in the context of the war in Gaza (Read more at Carnegie).

US ambassador praises Türkiye as an indispensable ally

Jeff Flake welcomes Congress' green light for F-16 sales to Türkiye as an opportunity to revitalise bilateral relations between the NATO allies (Link).

Turkey, the United States, and the Israel-Hamas War

The onset of the conflict in Gaza has further estranged Erdogan from Washington. He reacted indignantly to the U.S. deployment of two aircraft carrier strike groups to the Eastern Mediterranean and suggested that the United States has no business sending the carriers or playing a role in this conflict (Read more at CFR).