Turkey, US pledge joint struggle against terror
US Secretary of State John Kerry shakes hands with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Çankaya Presidential Palace in Ankara, Sept. 12. (AA Photo) U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry held talks in Ankara on Sept. 12 to shape the strategy in the fight against jihadists in Iraq and Syria, as Turkey reiterated its readiness for “merely humanitarian assistance” in the region, instead of getting involved in combat operations. Read more coverage from Hurriyet Daily News here.
Secretary Kerry and FM Davutoglu had a phone conversation over the weekend
Department of State Spokesperson Jen Psaki confirmed that Secretary of State John Kerry spoke with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on June 15. Although the call was focued on Syria, the ongoing protests in Turkey were also discussed. Psaki said “we remain focused on calling on all parties to ease tensions and to resolve the situation through dialogue, taking into account views from across the political spectrum. We also continue to urge all sides to exercise restraint and avoid violence.” Read below the full excerpt:
Psaki: “We are confident” that Turkish protests didn’t affect the U.S.-Turkey relationship in terms of dialogue
In response to a question on whether she was confident the ongoing protests in Turkey affected U.S-Turkey relations, Spokesperson Jen Psaki responded “we are confident.” Read the full excerpt of the State Department’s Daily Press Briefing below:
Psaki: The U.S. endorses “calls for a full investigation”
Department of State Spokesperson Jen Psaki commented on Turkey’s Gezi Park protests and on June 3. Psaki said “Our assessment is that the vast majority of the protesters have been peaceful, law abiding, ordinary citizens exercising their rights. We are concerned about – which you heard the Secretary say this morning – the excessive use of force by police in several instances, and endorse calls for a full investigation. And we condemn attempts by any party to provoke violence.” Read the full excerpt below:
Secretary John Kerry's remarks with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu gave a joint statement on April 7, 2013. You can find the full video of the conference at the U.S. Department of State website here.