Despite many contentious disputes between Washington and Ankara, US President Donald Trump has expressly praised his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
„I’m a big fan of the president,“ Trump said yesterday at a joint press conference with Erdogan at the White House.“We have a great relationship.“ That applies both to their personal relationship and to the relationship between the two countries. Trump said Turkey is an important strategic partner for the US. The trade relations of both countries also have great potential.But there were also problematic issues: Turkey’s purchase of an S-400 missile defense system from Russia created „some very serious challenges,“ Trump said. Washington fears that Russia will be able to obtain data on the capabilities of the US F-35 fighter jet through the sensitive radar of the weapons system.
However, Erdogan criticized the resolution to recognize the genocide of the Armenians in the US House of Representatives. The resolution has the intention to violate the Turkish nation and it aims to „cast a shadow over our relations“.Relationship strained by northern Syria offensive
The relationship between the NATO partners Turkey and USA is strained because of various issues. The Turkish military offensive in northern Syria a good month ago had exacerbated tensions.
The Turkish army invaded with allied rebels on October 9 in northern Syria to drive the YPG out of the border area. The YPG is the ally of the US armed forces in the fight against the terrorist militia Islamic State (IS). Turkey regards the Kurdish militia as a terrorist organization.
Trump had paved the way for the offensive with a withdrawal of US troops from the border region in northern Syria. Critics accused him of abandoning the YPG.
NATO criticism „unacceptable“
In view of this, French President Emmanuel Macron called NATO „brain dead“. Erdogan rejected this criticism. He was „very disappointed with the French declaration“. „I think that bothered the president a lot,“ Trump said. „Unacceptable,“ Erdogan confirmed with the help of an interpreter.
Trump: Europe should pay more for refugees
Trump also called for European countries to pay more to cover the cost of refugees from Syria. „I think that, frankly, Europe should pay a large part of it. Turkey currently pays the most, „said Trump.
Protests in front of the White House
Dozens of people were protesting against Erdogan and his policies in front of the White House. Protesters held, among other flags of the Kurdish militia YPG and shouted: „Turkey out of Syria“ and „shame on Turkey“. On the sidelines of Erdogan’s recent visit to Washington in May 2017, his bodyguards beat up peaceful demonstrators outside the Turkish embassy in the US capital, causing outrage in America.
