Turkey is mounting an intensive diplomatic push on multiple fronts, buoyed by President Donald Trump’s warm ties with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, says a report in AFP.
Ankara is seeking to broker a Russia-Ukraine agreement, mend Syria’s ties with the West, and facilitate progress in stalled Iranian nuclear negotiations.
On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin himself proposed Istanbul as a possible venue for renewed negotiations with Ukraine. The Turkish metropolis previously hosted early-stage talks between Moscow and Kyiv at the outset of the war, with another round held in Antalya.
Coincidentally, NATO foreign ministers began assembling in the Mediterranean city of Antalya on Wednesday evening ahead of a summit focused on increasing defense expenditures, underscoring Turkey’s role as a strategic meeting ground amid global turbulence.
Meanwhile, Istanbul is also expected to host a new round of talks this week between Iran and the E3—Britain, France, and Germany—as part of ongoing efforts to revive the nuclear agreement.
Earlier on Wednesday, Erdogan participated remotely in a landmark summit in Riyadh between President Trump and Syria’s new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa. Erdogan commended Trump’s decision to lift US sanctions on Damascus, describing it as “a step toward regional stability.”
“Today, Turkey has become one of the central pillars of peace diplomacy,” Erdogan declared in a speech to lawmakers from his ruling AKP party. “Turkey is now, without question, among the countries whose support, mediation, and goodwill are sought in resolving both regional and global crises.”
According to the AFP report, Washington has gravitated towards Turkey thanks to the personal connection between Trump and Erdogan.
“Trump seems to love Erdogan, he seems to have truly warm personal feelings about him,” Max Abrahms, an international security professor, told AFP. “Turkey is a very important country in the world and there are thus many reasons why strong relations with Turkey help the US geopolitically.” he said.
However, the personal connection between them was “unmistakable, and frequently acknowledged by Trump,” he added.
Will Trump lift sanctions on Turkey?
On Wednesday, the US State Department approved the sale of advanced missile systems to Turkey, with a total value exceeding $300 million.
Specifically, the approved sale includes AIM-120C-8 medium-range air-to-air missiles worth $225 million, as well as AIM-9X Sidewinder Block II missiles valued at $79.1 million. This development clearly reflects the intention to further strengthen defense cooperation between the two countries.
Greek-American organizations are ramping up efforts to block the sale of advanced F-35 fighter jets to Turkey amid reports that Trump is considering lifting sanctions, a move that could reinstate Turkey in the program.
In March, Trump and Erdogan held a phone conversation after which reports emerged that Trump was inclined to potentially reinstate Turkey in the F-35 program.
Turkey was expelled from the program in 2019 after acquiring and deploying the Russian S-400 SAM system. Now, according to reports, Trump’s team is searching for ways to bypass the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
AHEPA, the largest and oldest Greek-American organization in the United States, and the American Hellenic Institute have sent open letters to President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging them to maintain sanctions placed on Turkey.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
