PodcastTurkey says it is ready for cooperation with US regardless of who wins presidential election
Turkey is ready to work with the U.S. administration regardless of who wins the presidential election, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on Nov. 6. Çavuşoğlu said that Turkey had worked with Democrat and Republican administrations alike and overcome difficulties with both.
Duvar English - Reuters
Turkey is ready to work with whoever wins the U.S. election, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on Nov. 6, despite a friendship with President Donald Trump that has helped the two countries through turbulent times.
"Regardless of which candidate takes office in the U.S., we will pursue a sincere approach to improve our relations," Çavuşoğlu said.
The decades-old partnership between the NATO allies has gone through unprecedented tumult in the past five years over disagreements on Syria policy, Ankara's closer ties with Moscow, its ambitions in the eastern Mediterranean, U.S. charges against Turkish state-owned Halkbank and an erosion of rights in Turkey.
Çavuşoğlu said Turkey had worked with Democrat and Republican administrations alike and overcome difficulties with both.
He spoke as Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden took a narrow lead over President Donald Trump in the battleground state of Georgia, putting the White House within Biden's reach as undecided states continued to count votes.
Washington has threatened sanctions on Turkey for purchasing Russian missile defence systems but Trump's administration has avoided imposing sanctions.
"Of course, individuals have an impact, positive and negative. The sincere friendship between our president and Mr. Trump continued through the most difficult times," Çavuşoğlu said.
Analysts say Turkey's bilateral ties could suffer if Biden becomes U.S. president. The lira, which is already trading at a record low against the dollar, could come under more pressure.
In remarks that drew sharp criticism from Ankara, Biden in December advocated a new approach to the “autocrat” Turkish President Recep Erdoğan and fretted over close Turkish cooperation with Russia.
Biden has said little specifically about the issue recently and his campaign did not respond to a request to comment. His platform calls on “all NATO nations to recommit to their responsibilities as members of a democratic alliance.”
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