Türkiye is a proper contributor to regional stability, US official says

A senior United States official has described Türkiye's role in its region as a contributing power to stability and peace, reflecting its importance in the world, and refuted claims that the NATO ally is distancing itself from the Western bloc.

"We deeply value the efforts and the vision of the Turkish government in making a proper contribution that reflects its importance in the world," said the U.S. State Department's acting undersecretary, John Bass, in an interview with Hürriyet Daily News in Ankara on Sept. 18.

Bass, who served as the U.S. ambassador to Ankara between 2014 and 2017, held talks with Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Yılmaz on Sept. 17 on a range of issues, including Syria.

On a question whether he agrees with claims that Türkiye has distanced itself from the Western bloc and NATO, Bass said "I don't see that in the totality of our relationships. I see a strong, confident country that is looking to ensure it has robust relationships with a wide range of countries. There are more than enough challenges in the world today for all of us to be dealing with."

"Whether it's Türkiye's support in mediating some of the challenges that currently exist between Somalia and Ethiopia; whether it's ongoing contributions to trying to bring this conflict between Israel and Hamas to a close, whether it's past efforts to enable the Black Sea grain initiative, those are all really important contributions," the senior U.S. diplomat underlined.

Bass recalled that every time he returns to Türkiye he is struck by the continued dynamism and energy in Turkish society and its economy, and stressed the need for strengthening the bilateral relationship between the two countries as strategic partners.

Talks focused on...