US And Turkey Discuss Transition Away From Assad In Syria

US Vice President Joe Biden said he and Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan he had discussed a transition of power in Syria away from President Bashar al-Assad during a four-hour meeting in İstanbul on Saturday.

Turkey has been a reluctant partner in the US-led coalition against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) insurgents in Syria and Iraq, pushing for a more comprehensive strategy that includes Assad's removal from power.

"On Syria, we discussed ... not only to deny ISIL a safe haven and roll back and defeat them, but also strengthen the Syrian opposition and ensure a transition away from the Assad regime," Biden told a joint news conference with Erdoğan.

The two politicians offered no indication that the US and Turkey had bridged their differences about how to deal with ISIL or Syrian President Bashar Assad. During the press conference, each lauded the six-decade relationship between the two NATO allies. But there was no mention of Turkey's Incirlik Air Base, which the US wants to use to launch strikes against ISIL militants in Syria and Iraq. Biden only briefly mentioned Turkey's plans to train and equip moderate Syrian opposition fighters, but no details were disclosed. Neither mentioned Turkey's call for a no-fly zone, or safe zone, in northern Syria, where Western-backed opposition fighters would be safe from Assad's air force.

Biden said the two spoke at considerable detail about Iraq and Syria, and that he believes the US-Turkey relationship is "as strong as it has ever been."

"We need Turkey, and I think that Turkey believes that it needs us as well," he said.

Erdoğan said he and Biden talked about Iraq, Syria as well as other global issues, and that they plan to continue to hold such discussions.

"We gladly saw that we have the same opinion with the United States on most of the issues we discussed. We confirmed our decision to improve our cooperation. Most importantly, as being two NATO allies, we confirmed once more our commitment to each other's defense and security," said Erdoğan.

Speaking to the Associated Press, a senior administration official said the meeting was not void of progress and that both leaders achieved better clarity about the needs of both countries. The official said the US and Turkey agree that ISIL needs to be defeated, that moderate Syrian forces need to be trained, including at one base in Turkey, and that a political transition is needed in Syria that does not include Assad. The official was not authorized to publicly disclose details of the meeting and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Biden's visit comes after weeks of public bickering between the two NATO allies. Erdoğan insists that if the US wants his help, it must focus less on fighting ISIL and more on toppling Assad. Erdoğan wants the US-led coalition to set up a security zone in northern Syria to give moderate fighters a place to recoup and launch attacks.

The US has no appetite to go to war against Assad and has said a no-fly zone against Syria's air force is a no-go.

Turkey has pledged to train and equip moderate Syrian forces on its soil, but no details have been announced by either side. US and Turkish officials have discussed the coalition's desire to use Turkey's İncirlik Air Base for US-led operations against ISIL militants, but Turkey has made no public decision about İncirlik.

--- Journalists not allowed to ask questions

Journalists were not allowed to ask questions at the press conference Erdoğan jointly held with Biden in İstanbul. Turkey’s Cumhuriyet daily claimed on Saturday that the two leaders aimed to prevent a recent controversy between the two over the latter’s remarks regarding Ankara's alleged support for radical groups in Syria from coming to agenda.

The daily claimed that the two leaders agreed on not allowing press members to ask questions following their meeting İstanbul to avoid any question on the apology spat. Neither Turkish nor American journalists were allowed to ask questions.

Biden indicated in a speech at Harvard University in October that Turkey contributed to the rise of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and accused Turkey of supporting anyone who would fight against President Bashar al-Assad in Syria. He also said that Erdoğan had told him that Turkey had “let too many people through,” even though Turkey is now trying to secure its border.

Erdoğan denied ever making such a statement and told reporters in İstanbul before Biden's reported apology that the vice president would "be history for me if he has indeed used such expressions."

The White House later issued a statement saying that Biden called Erdoğan and apologized to him. But recently, speaking to a television channel, Biden said he had never apologized to Erdoğan.(Cihan/Today's Zaman)

SHOTLIST
TURKEY, ISTANBUL, 22 NOV 2014

Biden and Erdoğan comes to the press conference room
VAR of Biden's statements

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