Bloomberg has cited three Turkish officials who spoke on condition of anonymity as arguing that the past week’s drills, along with a visit from a bipartisan Congressional delegation, show both sides seeking to rebuild their longtime alliance.
The American media's report added that Turkey is seeking to arrange a meeting between Erdogan and the US president on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in New Delhi, following one in Lithuania last month.
Erdogan last month dropped his long-held opposition to Sweden’s NATO membership in a bid to improve ties with the US and buy American-made F-16 fighter jets.
The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, visited the Turkish port city of Antalya last week. Joint naval and combat drills involving Turkish F-16 and US F-18 jets marked the largest joint exercises since bilateral ties hit a low in the aftermath of a failed coup attempt against Erdogan in 2016, Turkish officials said.
Turkey was sanctioned by the US over its acquisition of the Russian S-400 missile-defense system in 2017 and kicked out of Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35 stealth jet program, making the F-16 purchase critical to its air force.
Meanwhile, some US senators have called for sanctioning Turkey over its intervention in Cyprus internal affairs. Democratic Senator Robert Menendez, a steadfast and longstanding friend of Cyprus, visited the island last week, threatening Turkey with sanctions if it continues its behavior.
MNA/PR
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