Erdogan cancells his visit to USA: Media cited reason
Photo: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Turkiye (Getty Images)
The planned visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the United States, scheduled for May 9th, has been canceled, according to OdaTV.
During the visit, Erdogan was supposed to meet with President Joe Biden for the first time at the White House. The parties planned to discuss a number of important issues, including:
- Counterterrorism efforts.
- Situation in the Gaza Strip.
- Defense projects and economic relations between the countries.
Reason for cancellation
As reported, the reason for the cancellation of the visit was the approval of $26 billion in aid to the State of Israel by the United States.
It is worth noting that there is currently no official information regarding the cancellation of the visit. There are also news agencies claiming that Turkiye postponed the visit due to changes in Erdogan's schedule. New dates are allegedly being coordinated at the moment.
Turkiye's position on the Gaza conflict
Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in numerous casualties and kidnappings. Following this, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a military operation in the Gaza Strip aimed at completely destroying Hamas. Currently, the focus is on the city of Rafah, which Israeli forces plan to storm, causing concern in the United States and other countries.
After the Hamas attack, the President of Turkiye called Israel a "military criminal" and an "occupier." In response to this statement, Tel Aviv recalled diplomats from the country.
Recently, Erdogan also claimed that Israel is supposedly responsible for escalating tensions in the Middle East.
