Event Summary: A Roundtable on Current Challenges in US-Turkey Relations

Turkish-American relations are at yet another turning point. The U.S. withdrawal from Syria, as well as talks about creating a safe zone, are underway. At the same time, the U.S. Congress has threatened to take punitive measures including the imposition of sanctions against and exclusion of Turkey from the F-35 program in the wake of the Turkish decision to purchase air defense systems from Russia. As the two NATO allies seek common ground on northeast Syria to satisfy Turkish security concerns, can they find a way to overcome challenges in their defense partnership? How will the current challenges define the Turkish-American relationship in the short and medium term?

The SETA Foundation at Washington D.C. held a private roundtable discussion on “Current Challenges in US-Turkey Relations” on April 16, 2019, with Ambassador İbrahim Kalın, Spokesperson of the President of Turkey and Chief Advisor to the President, and Prof. Dr. Burhanettin Duran, General Coordinator of the SETA Foundation. The conversation was moderated by Kadir Ustun, Executive Director, The SETA Foundation at Washington D.C.