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:
State Department encourages Turkish officials to “refrain from unhelpful rhetoric and unhelpful comments”
On June 6, Department of State Spokesperson Jen Psaki said on Turkey: “Our focus is continuing to urge calm in the country. A number of government officials have done that and we have seen and commended their efforts to do that. We remain supportive, of course, of peaceful protest and of freedom of speech that individuals are exerting in the country, and just would encourage any official there to refrain from unhelpful rhetoric and unhelpful comments that will not help calm the actions that are…
USDA Trade Mission Aims to Create Opportunities for U.S. Agriculture in Turkey
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that Acting Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Michael Scuse is leading a mission to promote U.S. agricultural exports to Turkey, this week. Representatives from Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Pennsylvania, as well as 20 U.S. companies are participating. According to , Turkey has become an important market for U.S. food and agricultural products over the past decade with its rapidly developing economy and expanding middle class. During the mission, the USDA delegation will travel to Istanbul and…
Vice President Biden expresses concern over Turkey protests at U.S.-Turkey conference
The 32nd annual conference on U.S.-Turkey relations, hosted by the American-Turkish Council, took place in Washington, DC on June 2-5. This year the conference theme was “Partnership, Trade, and Investment – The Time is Now.” The conference addressed bilateral political relations, economic opportunities, as well as defense, pharmaceutical, and agriculture sectors. Both Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan and the U.S. Vice President Joe Biden spoke at a conference reception on June 4. In this speech, Biden expressed concern about the protests in Turkey. Biden expressed that the…