OMM Redaksiyası
Türkiye-US relations extend beyond military cooperation, with NATO continuing to serve as a key pillar of the partnership, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Chief Foreign Policy and Security Adviser Akif Cagatay Kilic said Monday, according to Anadolu Agency.
Kilic made the remarks during a panel titled “Türkiye-US Relations on the Eve of the Centennial,” organised by Türkiye’s Communications Directorate in New York during the week of the UN General Assembly.
“The relationship that we have with the US is profoundly different to a lot of the relationships that we have around the world,” Kilic said. He added that bilateral ties were not based solely on military relations, while stressing that NATO remained an important part of the partnership.
Türkiye described as a key factor in regional stability
Kilic said the regional environment in which Türkiye found itself during the 1950s and 1960s had changed significantly, creating a very different geopolitical landscape today.
Türkiye’s continued presence in the region was a constant factor, he said, describing Ankara as “a main and pivotal point in stability.”
Cagri Erhan, deputy chair of the Presidential Council for Security and Foreign Policy, underlined the historical dimension of Türkiye-US relations. He said the ties date back to the 1830s, during the Ottoman Empire.
Erhan also recalled that although the United States entered World War I, it did not declare war on the Ottoman Empire, saying: “They declared war to Germans, not Ottomans.”
Speakers highlight shared interests
Former US Ambassador to Türkiye and retired diplomat James Jeffrey said Ankara and Washington shared numerous interests and values.
“We exist in the same world,” Jeffrey said, referring to organisations including the IMF, the World Bank, the OECD and NATO. He added that the relationship went beyond institutions and could also be understood through the differing positions of China, Russia and Iran.
Jeffrey said Türkiye and the United States “complement each other”, noting that Ankara could influence the wider Mediterranean region and much of Europe.
“The coordination between the two capitals is extraordinary,” he said, adding that the two countries generally managed disagreements within limits while cooperating in many areas.
Exhibition marks diplomatic anniversary
The panel was also attended by Matthew Bryza, a former US ambassador to Azerbaijan.
A photo exhibition marking the 100th anniversary of Turkish-American diplomatic relations was opened at the entrance to the venue. It displayed around 30 photographs of high-level meetings between Turkish leaders and US officials in the United States, as well as visits by US presidents to Türkiye since diplomatic relations were established.
Participants showed strong interest in the exhibition.
