The Foreign Affairs Committee of the Turkish Parliament, led by ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) lawmaker Fuat Oktay, embarked on a U.S. trip this week. Oktay spoke to journalists in Washington, D.C. after a meeting with the Turkish community at the embassy on Wednesday. He explained how, as lawmakers, they strived to enhance ties with the U.S. with a “positive agenda.”
Turkish-U.S. relations were somewhat strained under the Biden administration, but the election of Donald Trump appears to be adding momentum to the ties, especially toward a resolution of outstanding issues between the two countries, including sanctions.
Oktay said their visit primarily focused on moving the developing positive agenda between the two countries on the presidential or governmental level to the Congress. “The U.S. Congress, on a bipartisan aspect, is slower to catch up with these developments. This is an election year for the House of Representatives and the Senate, and they will concentrate more on domestic politics. Before this happens, we came here to build upon the positive agenda at the Congress as well. We will hold talks with our counterparts at the Senate and House of Representatives, where we will voice Türkiye’s views on relations. But beyond that, we are trying to establish a healthy communication channel. Rather than relying on lobbies for communication, we want a more structural relationship between the governments,” he said.
He stated that the sanctions would also be discussed, noting that Congress had a major role in lifting sanctions. “Lifting of the sanctions will reflect well on Turkish-U.S. relations and will have a good impact on developing a comprehensive cooperation in multiple fields, from the economy to the defense industry. We aim to take our relations to the next level,” he said, adding that this would also contribute to the regional peace.
