Envoy warns of ‘spillover effect’ for Turkish-US issues

WASHINGTON

Turkey's US ambassador on Monday said the current problems between the two NATO allies have a "spillover effect" for future generations.

Serdar Kilic cited the US support for the YPG, the Syrian branch of the PKK terror group; inaction against the Fetullah Terror Organization (FETO), Turkey's suspension from the F-35 program and the US lifting a partial arms embargo on Greek Cyprus as "problematic areas."

"We should not let those problems which we are faced currently to have a detrimental effect on Turkish-American economic relations and which will poison the future of our economic relations as well," Kilic said at the 38th American-Turkish Conference.

"If you don't take the necessary steps now, it will have a spillover effect for the next generations. We should prevent that. We should treat economic and political problems separately," he added during the virtual event.

Defense

Turning to boosting defense cooperation, Kilic said both nations should put political differences aside and not allow one disagreement to "take all of our efforts and potential in this field as a hostage," referring to Turkey's purchase of the Russian S-400 missile system.

In an example, Kilic said Turkey is trying to sell helicopters to a third country but the US Congress is blocking the sale of the engine because of Ankara's acquisition of the Russian air defense system.

"What's is the end result? That third country is going to be unfortunately lost to an adversary of United States and the NATO," Kilic warned.

He said American and Turkish companies have shared interest in further enhancing cooperation in defense area.