Biden tries to keep everyone happy but...

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden's visit to Turkey was marked with some progress on important issues like Turkish military presence in Iraq and Ankara's demand for the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) to be put in the same basket as the PKK terrorist organization.

It seems clear that the U.S. has realized the importance of Turkish military presence in Northern Iraq, and especially around Mosul where Turkey is training Iraqi Kurdish and Arab forces to combat DAESH militants. The Iraqi government has branded Turkish forces as occupiers and has demanded their withdrawal. Yet every time they have made such a demand, Bashiqa camp where Turkish military personnel are training the Iraqis, has been attacked by DEASH forces and Turkish soldiers have repelled them each time with no Turkish casualties and massive losses for DAESH.

It seems the Americans have realized the importance of Turkish military existence in Northern Iraq and have promised to use their good offices to convince the Baghdad administration that Turks are needed there more than ever, and demanding their withdrawal is only an act of suicide, as the clumsy Iraqi Shiite-dominated army is making a mess of the fight against DAESH.

The Americans also realize that the Russians are playing a dirty and dangerous game in northern Syria as they encourage the PKK-backed PYD militants to enter western areas of Syria that are dominated by Syrian opposition forces, thus challenging Ankara, which insists the region be off limits to Kurds.

Biden seems to have understood Ankara's sensitivity and has been assuring President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu that the Americans will not stand idle as the Russians dominate Syria, and will also treat the PYD as a terrorist group.

What is sad, however, is that the U.S. is still not displaying proper leadership in world affairs, led by the Syrian issue, and thus is allowing Russia and Iran a free hand in the region. It seems this unfortunate situation will continue until the U.S. presidential election produces a new and strong president who will face international challenges in an appropriate manner.

All this is fine. But it seems Biden tried to appease the Turkish opposition and used a balancing tactic as he tried to preach democracy to Turkish leaders.

Biden made a point of meeting journalists with marginal views who oppose the government, much to the distaste of Ankara. He tried to teach democracy to Turkish leaders urging more freedom of expression and tolerance.

This was not met too warmly by Turkish leaders, as they did not like being preached to by Biden whose country does not have a very good human rights record.

Biden could have met with Turkish journalists of various backgrounds and thoughts and received a better picture of Turkey, but someone did not want this and he ended up listening to the same old opposition charade that we have been listening to for all these years.

Biden and Washington should only be happy that they have Erdoğan in Ankara and that Turkey remains an island of relative stability in this immensely volatile region.