Obama to meet Turkey’s Erdogan at G20 summit
Obama wants to talk with Erdogan about events in Turkey’s military campaign against ISIS, and how to promote stability in Syria
US President Barack Obama will have a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan during the G20 summit in China next month and is likely to have at least an informal talk with Russia’s Vladimir Putin, the White House said on Monday.
Obama wants to talk with Erdogan about events in Turkey’s military campaign against ISIS, and how to promote stability in Syria, Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes told reporters.
The Obama-Erdogan meeting is scheduled for Sunday, September 4.
It was not certain whether Obama would hold a formal meeting with the Russian president during the G20 summit of the world’s biggest economies, which runs Sept 4-5. But the two leaders often speak on the margins of such summits, Rhodes said.
“We usually try to find an opportunity for the two leaders to try to spend some time together, usually to focus on Syria and Ukraine,” Rhodes said. The United States is at odds with Russia over the eastern Ukraine conflict and Washington and Moscow have struggled to stop fighting in Syria’s civil war.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a meeting between Putin and Obama has not yet been coordinated, Russian RIA news agency reported. “We are ready,” RIA cited Peskov as saying. “But there is no final agreement yet.”
-
Obama pledges US help to Erdogan in probing coup attempt
Obama ‘lauded the Turkish people’s resolve against this violent intervention and their commitment to democracy’ Middle East -
World leaders react to Turkey coup attempt
Obama has come out in defense of the elected government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Middle East -
Obama, Erdogan discuss Syria, fight against ISIS
The two leaders agreed on the urgency of continued efforts to degrade and defeat ISIS and to disrupt the militant group's capacity to conduct attacks Middle East -
Turkey's Erdogan says Obama spoke ‘behind my back’ on press freedom
Erdogan accused Obama of going behind his back for criticising Turkey's press freedom record Print