U.S. administration

Fethullah Gülen, who is widely believed to be behind the July 15 coup attempt, will account for his actions, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said Feb. 21. 

The new U.S. administration seems to be more indulgent and sensitive over the extradition of Fethullah Gülen, who is believed to be behind the July 15 coup attempt, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said Feb. 21, adding that discussions with U.S. officials were continuing.  

The U.S.-Turkey partnership must be revitalized under the Donald Trump administration, Republican Senator John McCain said on Feb. 20 after meeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım has said that a new page in U.S.-Turkey relations is being opened with the new administration at the White House. 

"We are opening a new page with the U.S. administration; they call it 'new day,'" state-run Anadolu Agency quoted Yıldırım as saying on Feb. 19 in Munich, where he attended the Munich Security Conference. 

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's visit to Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Qatar could be seen as a return to the bad old Sunni alliance against Iran in the region. For the time being, it is not clear if the move is part of a Turkish governmental attempt to influence the new U.S. administration, or a response to U.S. President Donald Trump's new Mideast policy.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said Feb. 18 that Turkish armed forces would not be directly involved in an operation against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) bastion of Raqqa, but rather give tactical support. 

U.S. Chief of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford held a meeting on Feb. 17 with Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar at the İncirlik air base to discuss an offensive to capture Raqqa from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

U.S. Chief of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford held a meeting on Feb. 17 with Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar at the İncirlik air base to discuss an offensive to capture Raqqa from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

U.S. Chief of Joint Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford is set to visit Turkey on Feb. 17. Following the Feb. 9 visit of CIA head Michael Pompeo, Dunford is the second high-ranking U.S. official's visit to Turkey, as part of a Middle Eastern tour. 

Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff. Joseph Dunford will pay a visit to Turkey on Feb. 17 for discussions on the Raqqa offensive, Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Işık has stated.