Esen Fidanlik
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Top line
On his first trip abroad as President, Joe Biden will meet Turkish President Recep Erdogan in Brussels on June 14th during the NATO summit, less than two months after Biden declared World War I the massacres of Armenians by Ottoman Turks were a act of genocide, sparking anger in Ankara.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan slammed US President Joe Biden, accusing him of “writing … [+]
Mustafa Kamaci / Turkish Presidency via ASSOCIATED PRESS
Highlights
Biden and Erdogan will discuss a “full range of bilateral and regional issues” at the summit, the White House said, without specifying.
Relations between Biden and Erdogan have been strained and embittered more in late April, when the US president officially recognized the murder of up to 2 million Armenians in Ottoman Turkey during World War I as an act of genocide, prompting Erdogan to retract.
Biden, who also criticized Turkey’s human rights record, especially vis-Ã -vis the Kurds, waited until April for talk to Erdogan by telephone, three months after his inauguration.
Erdogan’s plans to discuss US sanctions against Turkey for its acquisition of a Russian air defense system, as well as issues related to Syria and Israel, Erdogan’s spokesman told Turkey. Hurriyet daily newspaper.
Key context
In response to Biden describing the killings of Armenians as genocide, Erdogan said the United States must “look in the mirror», Referring to the brutal treatment of Native Americans by European settlers. Erdogan and Turkish officials have long admitted that Armenians, who are predominantly Christians, died in the war, but that there has been no systematic effort by the Turkish state to wipe out the Armenian population. But Biden’s conflicts with Erdogan date back to at least early 2020 when presidential candidate Biden called the Turkish leader “autocratVilified Turkey’s human rights record and pledged to support the efforts of Turkish opposition figures to overthrow Erdogan. Besides the Erdogan-Biden saga, Turkey angered the United States and other NATO allies by purchasing the S-400 air defense system from Russia, which led to the imposition of American sanctions by President Trump late last year, calling the acquisition a threat to the security of allies.
Large number
31. This is how many countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Lebanon and Syria, have officially declared the murder of Armenians as genocide.
Crucial quote
“Let’s leave that [Armenian genocide] question to historians, jurists, anthropologists. . . . It is only after completing their research that we politicians should step in and see what we can do â€, said Erdogan.
Tangent
Separately, Erdogan criticized Biden for US support for Israel military during the recent conflict in Gaza which left more than 260 dead. Erdogan accused the United States of helping to allow an Israeli “aggression” against the Palestinians, who he said cannot defend themselves.
Further reading
Here is the drone aircraft carrier of the Turkish Navy (Forbes)
Turkish President Erdogan wants to create another Bosphorus Strait but without international rules: a minefield for the region and the world (Forbes)
Turkish armored vehicles fly wingers of sniper drones (Forbes)
