Davutoğlu not to meet Obama next week due to tight agenda

Deniz Zeyrek - ANKARA

A U.S. visit by Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu planned for May 2 to May 6 has been postponed due to the busy schedule of U.S. President Barack Obama and his deputy, Joe Biden. 

Turkish sources said the meeting had never been announced officially.

U.S. sources told Hürriyet that Obama had responded affirmatively to the meeting initiated by the Turkish side and a meeting would be realized at a future date. 

Both Turkish and U.S. sources confirmed that the White House was positive about the meeting and had suggested the first week of May. 

Accordingly, Davutoğlu cancelled his plan to join a ceremony for the COP21, the U.N.’s climate change conference in New York on April 22. The Turkish Prime Ministry and Foreign Ministry had instead prepared a new U.S. program for Davutoğlu, which included a May 5 meeting with Obama, after which a team for groundwork was sent New York. 

Still, the U.S. officials later told their Turkish counterparts that Davutoğlu’s visiting dates were too short for them to arrange meetings with both Obama and Biden. 

Sources from both sides said the date of the meeting would be announced once it is fixed.

Davutoğlu had told journalist earlier that the diplomats from both U.S. and Turkey were working on a meeting between the leaders.