Deputy Minister Ambassador Sedat Önal and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman met in Ankara on 5 March 2022 and discussed bilateral relations, as well as regional issues including Ukraine.

In the meeting, mutual commitment to deepen bilateral cooperation in various fields through a sustained and structured dialogue was reiterated. It was underlined that despite differences on some issues, Türkiye and the United States have a larger positive agenda, including economic and trade relations, combatting terrorism and military/defense industry cooperation.

In this context, they discussed practical steps to be taken for the activation of a strategic dialogue mechanism between the two countries as agreed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and President Biden.

With regard to Ukraine, Deputy Minister Önal and Deputy Secretary Sherman confirmed our rejection and call for an end of Russia’s unacceptable attack on Ukraine.

They affirmed the Turkish and U.S. support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, while emphasizing the importance of continued close coordination in addressing multi-dimensional implications of the crisis and in supporting a diplomatic solution.