Turkey and the United States will remain in "close coordination" as they work for a diplomatic solution to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said after talks between the NATO allies' deputy foreign ministers on Saturday.
In a statement after talks between Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Önal and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman in Ankara, Turkey's foreign ministry said the allies "confirmed their support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty".
"The importance of remaining in close coordination to manage the multifaceted impacts of the crisis and support a diplomatic solution was emphasized," it said in a statement, adding the two had also discussed bilateral ties.
"The common will to deepen bilateral cooperation through a sustainable and institutionalized dialogue was confirmed, and it was highlighted that, despite the ongoing disagreements on some issues, Turkey and the United States have a wide-ranging positive agenda," it said.
Ties between Turkey and the United States have been strained over a host of issues in recent years, not least Turkey's purchase of Russian S-400 air defense systems and policy differences in Syria and the Eastern Mediterranean. Washington imposed sanctions on Ankara in December 2020 over the S-400s.
On the other hand, Ankara says that the greatest challenge that Turkey-U.S. relations face is not the problem of Ankara’s purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system but rather Washington’s support for the PKK terrorist organization’s Syrian wing the YPG.
The PKK is a designated terrorist organization in the U.S., Turkey and the European Union, and Washington's support for its Syrian affiliate has been a major strain on bilateral relations with Ankara. The U.S. primarily partnered with the YPG in northeastern Syria in its fight against the Daesh terrorist group. On the other hand, Turkey strongly opposed the YPG's presence in northern Syria. Ankara has long objected to the U.S.' support for the YPG, a group that poses a threat to Turkey and that terrorizes local people, destroying their homes and forcing them to flee.
Under the pretext of fighting Daesh, the U.S. has provided military training and given truckloads of military support to the YPG, despite its NATO ally's security concerns. Underlining that one cannot support one terrorist group to defeat another, Turkey conducted its own counterterrorism operations, over the course of which it has managed to remove a significant number of terrorists from the region.
While the war between Russia and Ukraine enters its second week, Turkey tries to keep its neutral and balanced position by keeping communication with all sides open.
Maintaining its neutral and balanced stance, Turkey continues its diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the Ukraine conflict, urging restraint for all sides. While Ankara has opposed international sanctions aiming to isolate Moscow, it also closed the Bosporus and Dardanelles under a 1936 pact, allowing it to curb some Russian vessels from crossing the Turkish Straits.
NATO ally Turkey borders Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea and has good ties with both. Since the beginning of the conflict, Ankara has offered to mediate between the two sides and offered to host peace talks, also underlining its support to Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. While recently calling Russia’s invasion an unacceptable violation of international law, Turkey has carefully formulated its rhetoric not to offend Moscow, with which it has close energy, defense and tourism ties.
Presidential Spokesperson İbrahim Kalın also met Friday with the U.S. deputy secretary of state in Istanbul.
During the meeting in Istanbul's Dolmabahçe Palace, Kalın and Sherman discussed regional issues, especially the war in Ukraine, and bilateral relations, according to a statement by the presidential spokesperson's office.
Highlighting the importance of stopping the war before it causes further destruction, the duo underlined that if the war is prolonged, its effects will be devastating for the entire region and the world.
Also, Kalın and Sherman agreed to increase the joint efforts for the negotiations between the parties to yield results.
Stressing Turkey's readiness to host negotiations, Kalın said Ankara is in constant contact with both sides.
They went on to evaluate peace and stability in Syria, Libya, and Afghanistan along with Turkey-Israel relations and the Turkey-Armenia normalization process.
The statement added that Kalın and Sherman agreed on steps to be taken for the implementation of the joint strategic mechanism.