Türkiye expects the United States to act in cooperation with it in the fight against terrorist groups such as the PKK/YPG and the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said at the Turkish-American National Steering Committee's (TASC) dinner in New York City on Sunday.
"We expect our American friends to act in cooperation in our fight against the terrorist organizations such as the PKK and FETÖ in a manner befitting the spirit of alliance," Erdoğan said at a dinner event organized by the TASC at Rockefeller Center in New York City.
Erdoğan said Turkish authorities have been "meticulously" working with their U.S. counterparts to bring FETÖ leader Fetullah Gülen and the group's members to Turkish justice.
The president stressed that Türkiye will continue to fight against terrorist organizations such as FETÖ, the PKK and Daesh, adding: "We will remove the dark shadow of terror from our region."
FETÖ orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, in Türkiye, in which 252 people were killed and 2,734 injured.
Ankara accuses FETÖ of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.
The president said he hoped to resolve the issues between Türkiye and the U.S. "on the basis of common interests" while developing cooperation with Washington.
Erdoğan said there is no issue between the U.S. and Türkiye that can't be resolved as two strong partners and allies for 70 years, adding that both nations are together in NATO.
"Be it funding, be it land forces, Türkiye is one of the top five most important partners that provide this support" in NATO, he said. "Therefore, Türkiye's position should be well understood, well-known, and decisions and steps should be taken accordingly."
Erdoğan also said that Türkiye and the U.S. have similar stands on many regional and global issues despite differences on issues about Ankara's national security, adding that he and U.S. President Joe Biden have agreed to strengthen the friendship and cooperation between their nations.
Turning to Russia's war in Ukraine, Erdoğan said Türkiye will continue efforts to end the war through diplomacy and eliminate its regional and global impacts.
"The Istanbul Agreement, which was achieved as a result of our efforts with the U.N. to export Ukrainian grain in the Black Sea, is the most concrete example of these efforts," he said.
"We want to translate the positive climate we have achieved here into a cease-fire and then lasting peace," he added.
Türkiye, the United Nations, Russia and Ukraine signed an agreement in Istanbul on July 22 to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports, which were paused after the Russia-Ukraine war began.
The president noted that there has been an increase in hate speech, Islamophobia and prejudices against Muslims around the world, saying the Turkish-American community and Muslim Americans are sometimes subjected to such attacks.
Erdoğan also urged the U.S. to take "strong" precautions against the distorted mentality that likens Islam to terrorism and hatred against Muslims.
On Monday, Erdoğan will attend the Transforming Education Summit convened by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the U.N. headquarters and receive members of American Jewish organizations at Turkish House (Türkevi). He will also address the General Assembly on Tuesday.
