The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the Republic of Türkiye and the United States of America on the occasion of the Türkiye-U.S. Strategic Mechanism.

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken held the fourth meeting of the Türkiye-U.S. Strategic Mechanism on January 18, 2023, in Washington. Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Önal also met with Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland under the auspices of the Strategic Mechanism. The two sides conducted an extensive dialogue on a broad range of areas of bilateral cooperation and emphasized the significance of our partnership as NATO Allies.

Minister Çavuşoğlu and Secretary Blinken built on the partnership and interagency discussions led by senior-level officials from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the U.S. Department of State on January 17, 2023, in Washington.

Minister Çavuşoğlu and Secretary Blinken reiterated their commitment to a concrete and results-oriented positive bilateral agenda. They discussed strengthening the Türkiye-U.S. defense partnership, including modernization of Türkiye’s F-16 fleet.

Minister Çavuşoğlu and Secretary Blinken underlined their unequivocal support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity against Russia’s unacceptable war and reaffirmed their support to find a solution to end the war. The United States thanked Türkiye for its role in brokering the Black Sea Grain Initiative and the two sides planned on the need for this life-saving mechanism to operate at the pace required to meet global demand for grain.

Minister Çavuşoğlu and Secretary Blinken decided to increase coordination and cooperation to advance peace in the South Caucasus.

Minister Çavuşoğlu and Secretary Blinken discussed ways to bolster NATO coordination and solidarity in the face of current threats and challenges. They reaffirmed their long-standing commitment to collective defense as Allies, as well as to NATO’s Open Door Policy. They discussed the implementation of the trilateral memorandum signed by Finland, Sweden, and Türkiye to advance Finland and Sweden’s application to join the NATO Alliance.

Minister Çavuşoğlu and Secretary Blinken discussed the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean and agreed on the importance of preserving stability and channels for communication.

Minister Çavuşoğlu and Secretary Blinken reiterated the need to fight terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Within this context, Türkiye and the United States plan to hold counter-terrorism consultations as part of the Strategic Mechanism, building upon preexisting cooperation through law enforcement and information sharing. The Secretary condemned once again the November 13, 2022, terrorist attack in İstanbul and affirmed the United States stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Türkiye in its fight against terrorism. Both sides planned to maintain close coordination and collaboration in the efforts to fight against terrorist organizations, notably ISIS/Daesh and the PKK.

They discussed all aspects of the Syrian crisis and reiterated the commitment of Türkiye and the United States to a Syrian-led political process in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254. They welcomed the recent UN Security Council vote to extend the cross-border delivery of humanitarian assistance into Syria. The two sides also addressed broader issues in the Middle East and Africa, including the need to build regional stability and connections through increased economic and security cooperation.

Minister Çavuşoğlu and Secretary Blinken appreciated the continuous growth in Türkiye-U.S. bilateral trade relations. They reaffirmed the importance of economic cooperation and building upon existing bilateral fora to support regional and global economic opportunities. Both sides endorsed a Climate and Energy Dialogue to advance energy security and the transition toward a cleaner energy future.

They decided to continue their engagement under the auspices of the Strategic Mechanism to review progress and maintain momentum in their positive bilateral agenda. The two sides welcome increased bilateral meetings, including at the highest level, under the Strategic Mechanism.