Signal of a new era on the Erdoğan-Trump line: 'Visit is positive, calendar is not clear'

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan made remarkable statements at an iftar program organized with Ankara representatives of media organizations. On his agenda was the recent phone call between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and US President Donald Trump. Emphasizing that the meeting went quite positively, Fidan said regarding Erdoğan's visit to Washington, "He is approaching it positively, but the date has not been clarified yet."

ERDOĞAN-TRUMP MEETING

Fidan stated that the phone call between the two leaders took place in a friendly atmosphere and said the following:

"Our President is one of the leaders that President Trump respects. During the meeting, our President expressed Turkey's expectations regarding the fight against terrorism and the necessity of lifting restrictions on defense industry cooperation. The importance of peace in Ukraine was also emphasized. Trump also displayed a very positive approach. We will continue to work to resolve the problems between the two countries."

Regarding the possibility of President Erdoğan's visit to Washington, Fidan pointed out that preliminary preparations could be made at the level of Foreign Ministers, stating, "Our President is approaching the visit positively. However, we have not pronounced a clear date at the moment."

YPG EMPHASIS IN DAMASCUS CONTACTS

Minister Fidan also gave details regarding his recent visit to Damascus. Stating that the YPG issue was put on the table, Fidan used the following expressions:

"We clearly expressed our concerns regarding the organization's intentions, capabilities, and control of energy resources within the framework of the agreement the new administration made with the SDF. It is pleasing to see that we share the same intention and perspective with the Syrian administration. The YPG is an extension of the PKK; there is no need for debate."

Emphasizing that the destruction of the organization's military capabilities is a priority for Turkey, Fidan stated that the organization should disband itself and come under the control of the central government. He also underlined that those who joined the YPG from outside should be purged.

Touching on the issue of the US military presence in Syria, Fidan noted that this presence has begun to be questioned in American public opinion:

"The stay of American soldiers in Syria does not appear to be among President Trump's priorities. The conjuncture has changed. If the US withdraws its soldiers, it will be less costly for them."

PLAN TO FIGHT DAESH

Minister Fidan also announced that five countries in Jordan have decided to come together to establish a joint operation and intelligence center. Stating that the military capabilities of Turkey, Jordan, Iraq, and other countries will be activated against DAESH when necessary, Fidan said, "We must solve our own problems ourselves."

EU MEMBERSHIP MESSAGE

Making evaluations on the European security architecture, Fidan stated that European countries no longer want to remain completely dependent on the US security umbrella. Touching on the issue of European Union membership, Fidan said, "The ideal is for Turkey to be an EU member and take part in a more holistic structure in every field from security to economy. Our President also sees this as an ideal solution."