Sun Sep 15 11:49:56 UTC 2024: ## US Reassures Turkey on Cyprus Defense Deal, Maintaining Strong Ties

**Ankara, Turkey** – A senior US official has sought to ease Turkish concerns over a new roadmap for strengthening defense cooperation between the US and Greek Cyprus. In an interview with the Turkish newspaper Milliyet, Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Ankara, Mike Goldman, emphasized that the agreement “is not against any third party.” He reiterated that the US and Turkey remain “integrated NATO allies.”

Goldman’s statement comes after Turkey expressed disapproval of the deal, arguing that it undermines regional stability and complicates efforts to find a solution to the Cyprus issue. Turkey had previously criticized the US for lifting its decades-old arms embargo on Cyprus in 2020 and 2022.

However, Goldman assured that despite the controversy, US-Turkish ties are strong and will not be impacted by the upcoming US presidential elections. He confirmed that the sale of 40 new F-16 fighter jets to Turkey remains on track, with ongoing discussions focused on technical aspects of the production process.

The envoy also addressed Turkey’s potential interest in joining the BRICS economic organization, stating that the US has no opinion on the matter. He emphasized Turkey’s sovereign right to establish ties with other countries while reaffirming the strength of the US-Turkish defense relationship within NATO.

In a separate development, Goldman expressed deep concern over the killing of Turkish-American citizen Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi by the Israeli army in the West Bank. He emphasized that the US takes the incident “very seriously.”

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