Turkey hits out at ‘baseless’ US report on Erdoğan’s criticism

WASHINGTON – Anadolu Agency

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The office of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on March 30 vehemently denied a media report alleging that Erdoğan “blasted” the U.S. administration in a closed-door meeting.

“The president has shared his views on the ongoing war in Syria and Turkey’s position on PKK’s [Kurdistan Workers’ Party] Syria branch PYD [Democratic Union Party] and YPG [People’s Protection Units] in the same way that he has stated before,” Erdoğan’s office said in a statement.      

The report claimed that the Turkish leader blasted the Obama administration for its support of the PYD and the YPG and, that during a dinner with representatives of American think tanks in Washington on March 29, Erdoğan criticized U.S. media for biased coverage of Turkish government policies.      

The Turkish president’s office described the report as “provocative,” while emphasizing the strategic partnership between Turkey and the U.S., as well as close bilateral relations between the two allies with respect to various regional and global issues.      

“President Erdoğan’s visit to the U.S. to attend the Nuclear Security Summit at the invitation of President Obama is a reflection of this fact,” according to the statement. 

“Turkey and the United States will continue to work together for global peace and security,” it added.