US, EU deem Turkey an 'issue of mutual concern'
US President Joe Biden's National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Bjoern Seibert, the head of cabinet of European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, held a phone conversation on Jan. 28, according to a White House statement. Sulllivan and Seibert “agreed to work together on issues of mutual concern, including China and Turkey,” said the statement released after the phone call.
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The White House on Jan. 28 issued a statement of a phone call between President Joe Biden's National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Bjoern Seibert, the head of cabinet of European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen.
The statement said that Sulllivan emphasized Biden's commitment to the “transatlantic alliance and his intention to repair to revitalize the U.S.-EU partnership,” including in trade and investment.
According to the statement, Sullivan and Seibert “also agreed to work together on issues of mutual concern, including China and Turkey.”
Turkey, a NATO ally that sits outside the EU's southeastern flank, has been problematic to both Washington and Brussels recently, over its purchase of S-400 defense missile systems from Russia and its maritime claims in the Mediterranean Sea.
Meanwhile, Turkey's National Security Council (MGK) declared on Jan. 28 that the country will continue to decisively protect its rights in the Eastern Mediterranean, Aegean and Cyprus.
“It was stressed once again that Turkey primarily favors diplomacy and dialogue at every platform in the settlement of Aegean, Eastern Mediterranean and Cyprus issues, but that it is also determined to protect its rights, relevance and interests emanating from international law and agreements,” said a statement, released after a meeting chaired by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.