US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, in Washington, D.C., within the framework of the second ministerial meeting of the strategic mechanism between the two countries. The talks included expanding NATO membership, as well as the F-16 deal to sell Turkey F-16 fighter jets.

In a joint US-Turkish statement, Blinken and his Turkish counterpart affirmed commitment to a political process led by Syria, in accordance with Security Council Resolution No. 2254, and the two countries also planned to maintain coordination in combating terrorism, especially ISIS and the PKK.

The statement added that the two ministers discussed the implementation of a memorandum signed by Finland, Sweden and Turkey to proceed with the request to join NATO. The two sides also discussed the situation in the eastern Mediterranean, and agreed to maintain stability and communication channels.

The two sides also affirmed - according to the statement - their support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and finding a solution to end the war. They also discussed strengthening the defense partnership, including modernizing the Turkish F-16 fleet.

A US State Department spokesman said US President Joe Biden believes the United States should sell Turkey F-16 fighters to modernize its current fleet.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken described his country's relationship with Turkey as a strong partnership, and added - during his meeting with Cavusoglu - that the United States appreciates Turkey's role in the Grain Corridor Agreement in the Black Sea, and said that they will discuss many challenges in the region, especially Ukraine, and Turkish cooperation - America, as they are allies in NATO.

In turn, the Turkish Foreign Minister stressed the importance of his country's cooperation with the United States in combating terrorism and strengthening cooperation in a way that poses a threat to the Islamic State and the PKK.

He added - in a statement to reporters before the meeting - "The volume of our trade last year (2022) exceeded 30 billion dollars, and our goal is 100 billion dollars, and our teams also discussed opportunities in the fields of energy and investment."

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu (left) and his American counterpart Anthony Blinken (Anatolia)

Davutoglu also indicated that Ankara is awaiting Washington's approval of the F-16 fighter jet deal in line with the strategic interests of the two countries, and said that his country's request for F-16 fighter jets is not important to Turkey, but also to the security of NATO and the United States, he said.

The delivery of F-16 fighters to Turkey and F-35 to Greece is a sensitive issue for the US government, although it does not mind it, but this is an issue opposed by US lawmakers, including the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Democratic Senate, Robert Menendez.

President Joe Biden confirmed that he supports the delivery of these fighters to Turkey during a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Madrid last June.

There are many contentious issues between Washington and Ankara.

From Syria to Turkey's opposition to the membership of Sweden and Finland in NATO, the United States recognizes that Ankara "has a constructive role" in the war in Ukraine, according to a US official who requested anonymity.

On the other hand, Cavusoglu indicated that he will hold a press conference with representatives of the Turkish media, and then he will go to Texas to open the office of the new Turkish Consulate General in Houston.

After that, Cavusoglu will hold various meetings in New York, and in this context, he will meet with Chapa Korosi, President of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

It is noteworthy that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his US counterpart, Joe Biden, agreed to form the joint strategic mechanism during their meeting in Rome on the sidelines of the G20 summit in October 2021.

On April 4, 2022, the Turkish capital, Ankara, hosted the first meeting within the framework of the mechanism, while the first meeting was held at the level of the two countries' foreign ministers in New York on May 16 of the same year.


Sweden and Finland join NATO

Meanwhile, Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said that his country has fulfilled all the pledges it made to Turkey with regard to joining NATO.

Haavisto expected - in an interview with Al-Jazeera on the sidelines of the Davos summit - that the visit of the Turkish Foreign Minister to the United States would contribute to resolving any problems related to this file.

The Swedish Foreign Minister, Tobias Bjöllstrom, said yesterday that the ball is now in Ankara's court to start NATO membership procedures, after Stockholm committed itself to the agreement of understanding signed by the two countries last year at the NATO summit, he said.

While Turkey stressed the need for Sweden to implement its pledges to combat organizations that Ankara considers terrorist, and stressed that the choice is now in Stockholm's hands.

The issue of NATO expansion remains pending, pending Turkey's approval of Sweden and Finland's accession.

Ankara's precondition revolves around the implementation of bilateral memorandums of understanding between it and Stockholm and Helsinki, which stipulate the extradition of persons that Turkey considers terrorists, and the prohibition of the work of parties and organizations that Ankara includes on the lists of terrorism.