One "thank you" from the United States falls far short of recognizing Türkiye's unique importance for Washington, said the country's top diplomat on Saturday.
Citing the historic grain deal reached this July in Istanbul, which unblocked Ukrainian exports to the world, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said: "In foreign policy areas, when we look at U.S. priorities, Türkiye remains not one of the most important actors, but the most important actor. So the U.S. should not belittle Türkiye's importance by just saying 'the grain deal is done, thank you.'"
Clearing hurdles and addressing disagreements between the two countries benefits both sides, Çavuşoğlu told members of the Turkish American community in Los Angeles, California.
Turning to the Türkiye-U.S. strategic mechanism established last October, he said the two nations should resolve issues and boost cooperation, which he said: "is the goal."
"We need to take concrete steps, too," he added.
Çavuşoğlu also said Türkiye was the focus during talks with his counterparts last week on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, adding that most spoke highly of Turkish efforts in the Russia-Ukraine crisis, including the grain deal and a recent prisoner exchange.
Some 60% of world conflicts including Afghanistan and Syria have been happening around Türkiye, he said, adding: "We're working to minimize the impact of crises."
Last October, meeting in Rome, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden agreed to establish a strategic mechanism that promotes high-level dialogue and addresses issues on which Türkiye and the U.S. do not fully agree, along with issues they are working on.
During a visit this April to the Turkish capital Ankara by Victoria Nuland, the U.S. undersecretary of state for political affairs, the Türkiye-U.S. strategic mechanism was launched.
Turkish-American relations have been strained in recent years due to U.S. cooperation with the PKK terrorist group's Syrian branch, the YPG, its failure to extradite the wanted ringleader of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), disagreements over Türkiye's purchase of Russia's S-400 air defense system and Washington's sanctions on Türkiye.
FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gülen orchestrated the defeated coup in Türkiye on July 15, 2016, in which 251 people were killed and 2,734 wounded.
In its more than 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States and the European Union – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is the PKK's Syrian offshoot.
The U.S. has said it is cooperating with the YPG/PKK in northern Syria to fight Daesh, but Turkish officials say using one terrorist group to fight another makes no sense, morally or otherwise.
Çavuşoğlu also said Friday that the U.S. has a "double standard" when it comes to responding to Greece's actions against Türkiye.
He told a Council on Foreign Relations event in New York that the U.S. and Türkiye can have different opinions and disagreements, which he called "natural."
He touched on the "unfair influence of some lobbies" on Turkish-U.S. relations.
"With these lobbies at play, the U.S. follows a double standard approach towards Türkiye on some issues."
Çavuşoğlu cited Greece's acts of hostility in the Aegean Sea.
"They went as far as radar locking Turkish F-16s during a NATO mission. A couple of days later, Turkish aircraft were again radar locked by their S-300 missiles in international airspace," he said.
"Nobody talks about these provocations. We only hear about Türkiye's justified responses," he added.
"We don't see equal treatment either. For example, waivers are rightly applied to India's purchase of S-400 missiles, while Türkiye is placed under CAATSA for acquiring the same system," said the foreign minister referring to the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act.
"Tons of military equipment is provided to a terror group in Syria, while we, as an Ally are subjected to sanctions," he added.
The top diplomat said Ankara asks for an impartial stance toward "an ally that has paid a huge price for Euro-Atlantic security for decades."
