Turkish government can make fresh start with U.S., PM says

Yildirim says Turkey, US should keep focus off of areas of dissent and work on mending ties
Sunday, 12 November 2017 19:08

Turkey and the U.S. should highlight areas of agreement and repair their relationship instead of focusing on disagreements, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım has said. 

The premier’s comments came at a meeting with U.S. press members earlier this week, during an official trip to the U.S.

"The deterioration of relations between Turkey and the United States not only affects the two countries, but it also affects global peace, and turns the issues in our region into a threat," Yıldırım told the meeting held at the residence of the Turkish Ambassador to Washington.

"Turkey and the U.S. have a very long history. Even if the relations may get strained from time to time, common sense prevails in the end and a solution is found," Yıldırım said, adding that Turkey and the U.S. could make 'a fresh start.'

Recalling his meeting with the head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Tennessee Senator Bob Corker, on the first day of his U.S. trip, Yıldırım said relations need to be improved not only at the level of American administration but also at the level of Congress, state-run Anadolu news agency reported.

"Parliamentary visits can be increased in this regard. We could also accelerate work toward reducing some prejudices of Congress members regarding Turkey," he added. 

When asked whether the U.S. was involved in last year’s July 15 failed coup attempt, Yıldırım said there was a 'prevalent opinion' among Turkish people that America was behind it. "We [the government] did not establish this opinion," he said. 

"Just like we supported the U.S. after September 11, now we expect the same after July 15. Did the U.S. request any documents in order to search and find Osama bin Laden?" Yıldırm added. "Let me be honest. If the U.S. does not take any steps about [Fethullah] Gülen, our relations will not improve," the premier said.

 S-400 DEAL WITH RUSSIA 

In response to a question on Turkey’s purchase of S-400 missiles from Russia, Yıldırım said they had no other choice.

"We wanted to get it from NATO member countries, but failed to get the necessary support from the U.S.," Yıldırım said.

"The fact that we have entered such a defence cooperation with Russia does not diminish our obligations or significance as a NATO member. Quite the contrary, it enhances them. We have no intention of giving up on NATO. We needed to move toward such a cooperation with Russia just to obliterate the threats against Turkey in the short term," he added.