Donald Trump and Turkish President Erdoğan hold talks

The main topics on Tuesday's agenda were Trump's decision to send weapons to YPG and Turkey's request for the extradition of Fethullah Güllen, and pro-Erdoğan tycoon Reza Zarrab case
Tuesday, 16 May 2017 21:21

President Donald Trump is holding his first face-to-face talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. 

The main topics on Tuesday's agenda were Trump's decision to send weapons to Syrian Kurdish forces of YPG and Turkey's request for the extradition of US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Güllen, and pro-Erdoğan, Iranian -Turkish tycoon Reza Zarrab case.

 

Erdoğan congratulated Trump on his "legendary triumph" in last November's presidential election. He also noted that the U.S. and Turkey work alongside each other at the United Nations, NATO and the Group of 20 developed and developing countries.

"We will support Turkey in the fight against ISIS [Islamic State] and the PKK and we will ensure that they have no safe quarter in the region," Trump said at the joint news conference with Erdoğan.

The US leader paid tribute to Turkish governments historical collaboration to the Western alliance's Cold War battles and promised: "Today we face a new enemy in the fight against terrorism and again we seek to face this threat together."

"It is a great pleasure to welcome President Erdogan for his first visit to the White House in years. The American and Turkish people have been friends and allies for many, many decades. Turkey was a pillar in the Cold War against communism. It was a bastion against Soviet expansion and Turkish courage in war is legendary. That is so true," Trump said. 

For his part, Erdoğan said: "Taking the YPG and [its political wing] PYD into consideration in the region will never be accepted and will go against a global agreement that we have reached.

"We should never allow those groups to manipulate the religious and ethnic structure of the region making terrorism as a pretext or excuse."

Erdogan had sent three top officials to Washington, DC before his own visit to the White House.

Hulusi Akar, Hakan Fidan and İbrahim Kalın respectively the Turkish military and intelligence chiefs and the presidential spokesperson held talks with senior US officials.