There are signs that the coming of Joe Biden as the President of the United States of America will have a significant change in the area of disagreement between the US and the rival nation.
The Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has stated that he would discuss strained U.S. relations with President-elect Joe Biden when he takes office, playing down the possibility of sanctions over Turkey’s purchase of Russian missile defence systems.
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Bilateral ties between the US and Turkey have been hit by Turkey’s purchase of Russian S-400 missile defence systems, differences in policy on Syria and the detention of U.S. consulate employees and citizens in Turkey.
‘We don’t find the statements they (the U.S. administration) make and the actions they take regarding our arms procurements to be nice. We especially don’t find their approach in northern Syria to be right,’ Erdogan said.
Erdogan while speaking to reporters before traveling to Azerbaijan said that it was too early to comment on the incoming U.S. administration under Biden, who has criticised Erdogan’s policies.
‘Let Mr Biden take office. Once he assumes office, we will surely sit down and discuss certain things with Mr Biden. Just like we sat and talked in the United States or Turkey in the past, we will discuss these again,’ he said.
Ankara may face U.S. sanctions early next year if Congress approves a defence spending bill including language requiring the president to sanction Turkey for their last year purchase of S-400s from Moscow. This raises the prospect of sanction if the House of Representatives passed the bill on Tuesday.
‘In diplomacy, a path is found to these issues by talking and meeting. (…) I believe we will manage this period very differently with the United States,’ Erdogan said, playing down the prospect of sanctions.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK