Türkiye, US hold high-level defense group meeting

WASHINGTON

Türkiye and the US on Thursday held a high-level defense meeting in the capital Washington, DC, the Turkish National Defense Ministry said on Friday.

"In the meeting, which was positive and constructive, discussions and exchange of views were held on regional and global security issues as well as on bilateral defense, military training, and defense industry cooperation," said a ministry statement.

The next meeting is expected to be held next year in Türkiye, it added.

Top defense-related issues between the countries include Ankara's bid to purchase F-16 fighter jets from the US, Sweden's NATO membership, and Türkiye's fight against terrorism, including the terror group PKK/YPG, which the US supports.

Officials in both countries have raised the possibility that the Turkish parliament and US Congress might soon, at about the same time, take steps on the F-16 and Sweden issues.

Türkiye has long criticized US support for the terrorist PKK/YPG. While Washington claims it fights Daesh/ISIS terrorists with the help of its PKK/YPG allies, Ankara says using one terror group to fight another makes no sense.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US and the European Union – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is its Syrian branch.