İmamoğlu brought up during Fidan-Rubio meeting: US sends notable messages to Turkey
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan visited the US on Tuesday and met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. While no detailed statement was made regarding the meeting, the Turkish press claimed that the arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu was brought up during the talks.
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During the meeting between Rubio and Fidan, the two countries' defense industry cooperation was discussed. Regional security issues and diplomatic relations were also on the table. It was also alleged that the arrest of İmamoğlu was discussed during the meeting. US President Donald Trump's National Security Advisor Mike Waltz stated a few days before the arrest decision that "very good news has been coming from Turkey and will continue to come." US officials did not provide details regarding the content of the diplomatic talks held with Turkey. Waltz also did not explain what he meant by the phrase 'good news'.
Diplomatic sources from Turkey emphasized that the meeting took place in a positive atmosphere. It was stated that US concerns regarding İmamoğlu's arrest were addressed in a different manner during the meeting. An official said, 'We believe that the US State Department's statement may have been prepared before the meeting.'
Waltz, in a statement he made before İmamoğlu's arrest, noted that they had received 'good news' from Turkey. While expressing that good news would continue to come, Waltz did not provide information regarding what he meant by these words.
Rubio, in the same statement, touched upon the recent arrests in Turkey and said the following:
''I have expressed my concerns regarding the situation of Ekrem İmamoğlu.''
CAATSA SANCTIONS WERE ON THE AGENDA
The Turkish side conveyed its expectations regarding the lifting of US CAATSA sanctions and re-inclusion in the F-35 program. Foreign Ministry officials announced that technical talks would begin to overcome obstacles in the defense sector.
According to the report by Doğa Öztürk from Cumhuriyet, the security situation in Syria, diplomatic efforts in the Ukraine-Russia war, and the Azerbaijan-Armenia normalization process were also discussed. Allegedly, the parties confirmed that cooperation in the fight against terrorism would continue.
Rubio announced in a post on social media that they discussed trade and security cooperation, adding the following:
''We discussed common issues ranging from peace efforts in Ukraine to Iran's regional activities.''
Some US media outlets claimed that the Trump administration plans to ease sanctions on Turkey and re-evaluate the F-35 program. It was also among the claims that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan might pay an official visit to the US next month.