Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday warned that the US risked “losing a precious friend” if it tries to corner his country, speaking two weeks ahead of the first meeting between the two leaders.
The already tense relations between the two countries have further worsened since Biden replaced Erdogan’s ally Donald Trump in January, with the new president emphasizing on highlighting Turkey’s grim human rights record.
When asked about Ankara-Washington relations, Erdogan said in an interview with Turkish state broadcaster TRT on Tuesday that “those who corner the Republic of Turkey will lose a precious friend”.
As per a report published on NDTV Erdogan’s combative stance comes ahead of the first meeting between the two leaders on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Brussels on June 14.Biden was in no rush to speak with the Turkish leader after taking office, waiting three months before calling Erdogan in April.