​Biden – Erdogan summit overshadowed by health rumors

TURKEY - In Brief 03 Nov 2021 by Atilla Yesilada

President Erdogan’s wish finally came true, when the US side confirmed in the 11th hour a meeting between him and Joe Biden. As to what happened in that meeting, sides politely disagree. It is fair to say nothing new emerged from the summit, which I can call concrete positive progress. Summit news took a backburner to Erdogan’s health, when in the last second he decided not to attend COP26 summit, returning home. While the Palace spokespersons claimed hedeclined to go because UK would not guarantee the safety of his very large entourage, the scuttlebutt is his handlers could not afford to expose him to another marathon of face-to-faces in Glasgow. On Wednesday TL witnessed major volatility, as social media exploded with news of his hospitalization, or even death. While this false news was immediately batted own with the release of video footage from his Thursday afternoon meetings, Erdogan’s health is now the number one political concern. What is next? Regarding Erdogan-Biden summit, the accounts of the two sides differ. Let’s review what the White House said: “President Biden underscored his desire to maintain constructive relations, expand areas of cooperation, and manage our disagreements effectively. He expressed appreciation for Turkey’s nearly two decades of contributions to the NATO mission in Afghanistan. The leaders discussed the political process in Syria, the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Afghans in need, elections in Libya, the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, and diplomatic efforts in the South Caucasus. President Biden reaffirmed our defense partnership and Turkey’s importance as a NATO Ally, but noted U.S. concerns over Turkey’s possessio...

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