Event Summary: A Private Roundtable Conversation with His Excellency Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

On September 22, 2019, the SETA Foundation at Washington, DC, along with The EastWest Institute, hosted a private roundtable discussion in New York City with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his delegation to highlight the importance of the US-Turkish partnership.

As the United Nations General Assembly convenes in New York City this week, US-Turkish relations are at yet another critical point. President Trump and President Erdogan are poised to meet on the sidelines to discuss key issues facing the two states, including the recent safe zone agreement in northeastern Syria. Turkey has generously hosted nearly 4 million Syrian refugees and is actively seeking a permanent solution for Syria moving forward through joint patrols and reconnaissance missions with the US. How will the geopolitical situation in the Middle East impact the US-Turkish bilateral relationship? While Turkey’s procurement of the S400 missile defense system and the US’s relationship with the YPG complicate matters, the NATO allies’ commitment to finding common ground and preserving their relationship has never faltered.