Erdoğan says course of US-Turkey ties ’does not bode well’

The current course of U.S.-Turkey relations "does not bode well," President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Sept. 24, noting that he didn't have a good start with U.S. President Joe Biden, who took power earlier this year.

In a briefing to Turkish journalists before he departed the United Nations General Assembly, Erdoğan highlighted divisions between the NATO allies over Turkey's purchase of a Russian missile defense system and its consequent removal from the U.S.-led F-35 stealth fighter aircraft program.

"I cannot honestly say that there is a healthy process in Turkish-American relations," the president was reported as saying in the Turkish media.

"Look, we bought the F-35s, paid $1.4 billion, and these F-35s were not delivered to us," he said, stressing that Washington must "correct" this policy.

"Of course, we will do what needs to be done based on international law. We can't accept that they are constantly imposing the S-400 on us. For us, the S-400 issue is finished. We cannot take a step back from here. America needs to place this in the right place in international diplomacy and relations. But so far, they haven't been able to," Erdoğan stated.

Turkey acts honestly, but America "unfortunately did not act honestly, it does not," he said.

Erdoğan said he had worked well with all the U.S. presidents during his 19-year rule, but added, "I can't say that we started well with Mr. Biden."

"I hope that, as two NATO countries, we could treat each other with friendship, not hostility. But the current trajectory does not bode well," he said.

Looking forward to his scheduled meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Sept. 29, Erdoğan said they would discuss bilateral...