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"Politicians from Turkey and the U.S. comment two countries relationship and current problems, foresight future relations... Presidents, Prime  Ministers, Ministers and Members of Parlement  all speak to TURKOFAMERICA, share their experiences and views with our readers. All exclusive interview from Ankara and Washington, D.C...  

 

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President Biden meets with Texas governor, officials in 1st visit to US-Mexico border

A state of emergency was declared in El Paso recently. President Joe Biden expressed his desire to go to the southern border within the week. On the last day of the week, he went to El Paso, Texas, where thousands of South Americans have recently flocked to apply for asylum. President Biden met with border and local officials. When he arrived in Texas, he was greeted at the airport by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who had been harshly critical of immigration. Governor Abbott presented Biden with a letter on border issues.

The influx of Latin Americans who want to apply for asylum in the United States, in El Paso in particular, is one of the most important agenda items in the country. El Paso is the busiest of the nine border crossings between Mexico and the United States. Venezuelans make up a significant portion of those who reach El Paso. The US announced on Thursday that it would expand restrictions so that Venezuelans, Cubans, Nicaraguans, and Haitians caught crossing the border illegally would be quickly deported to Mexico. 

The Constitutional Court had recently decided to extend the term of Article 42, which has already expired. Article 42 came into force during former President Donald Trump's term. It allows border officials to deport any asylum applicants without looking into their legal situations in detail because of the pandemic.

After Biden's visit to El Paso, he traveled to Mexico with the Secretary of State  Antony Blinken to attend the North American Leaders' Summit. The situation in America's southern border is also expected to play an important role at the leaders' summit, which will take place on January 9 and 10.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over Trump for President?

Even though the 2024 presidential elections are two years away, the Republican party has begun discussing its primaries. With critical candidates backed by Trump losing in the midterms held on November 8 and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis getting 60% of the votes, more and more Republican delegates have started losing hope in Trump. 

The pro-DeSantis remarks from numerous Republican members of Congress and media outlets closely associated with Trump indicate that there will be a DeSantis–Trump rivalry in the next two years. 

Impressive Background

The 44-year-old DeSantis graduated from the History Department of Yale and went to law school at Harvard. DeSantis started his professional career as a federal prosecutor, and he was also a legal advisor in the U.S. Navy. He took on the cases of U.S. soldiers who committed war crimes in the city of Fallujah in Iraq. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012 and served two terms as a member of Congress. 

His Foreign Policy Views:

DeSantis heavily criticized U.S. President Joe Biden for his decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan. He believes that NATO should adopt a strategy that focuses more on the war against terror. DeSantis condemned Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, and he's known for his tough stance on migrants. 

He believes that rivals like China and the nuclear deal with Iran should be vehemently opposed. He's known as the 'most pro-Israeli governor in the U.S.' DeSantis puts great importance on diplomatic engagement with North Korea, and he's also a politician who believes that the federal government should increase its military spending. 

With the ongoing Russia–Ukraine war, DeSantis stressed the importance of the energy independence of the U.S. and said, 'Of course, we want lower prices, but we also want a more secure energy supply and to not depend on rogue regions in the world. That's why I think we should put Russian President Vladimir Putin in his place."

Comments within the Republican Party liken the foreign policy approach of DeSantis to that of former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. DeSantis also compared the handling of the situation in Ukraine under the Obama and Trump administrations. "Obama refused to send weapons to Ukraine while he was the president. We sent weapons to Ukraine when Trump took over. Putin didn't take that well. Putin annexed Crimea while Obama was president. They weren't able to take anything when Trump was at the helm. And now, President Biden has entered Ukraine." he said.

 His views on Turkey:

DeSantis didn't support the bills about the so-called Armenian Genocide while he was a Member of Congress. He criticized the events that took place in front of the Turkish Embassy in Washington, D.C., while he was serving in Congress in 2017. Florida Governor DeSantis met with Enes Kanter - who has a warrant arrest in  Turkey - on April 26.

 

New York City Mayor Adams gives himself a 'solid B+' in the first year.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has an interview with the Daily News Editorial Board. "It's difficult to move forward while climbing up the ground with all of these things on your back. I'm so excited about 2023. We got some good stuff in the pipeline. I love doing my job," Mayor said. 

Editorial Board asked the Mayor to give himself a grade during the interview, and Mayor Adams said, "I'm a hard grader on myself and I think I'm a straight B+ because I've gotta leave room for improvement. I'm a solid B+."

NYC Mayor Accomplishments and Significant Steps in 2022.

New York City Mayor's Office released a list of achievements for New Yorkers this year. Mayor Eric Adams and his team have worked to 'Get Stuff Done' since January 2022. Mayor Adams' first year has focused on delivering results for New Yorkers and tackling New York City's most pressing challenges. 

“We inherited a city in crisis, with spiking COVID rates, increasing crime, and lackluster job growth — but at the end of my rookie year, New York City isn’t just coming back – we’re back,” said Mayor Adams.

 

Critical Highlights from Mayor Adams administration include:

Making New York City Safer: As a result of the Adams administration’s focus on public safetyshootings are down 17 percent year to date and homicides are down by 13.1 percent year to date. Further, the NYPD has removed more than 7,000 illegal guns from New York City streets this year and made over 4,500 gun arrests — a 27-year high. Additionally, November 2022 saw major crimes drop from where they were in November 2021, showing efforts are working across the board, and subway crime in that same month dropped by 12.8 percent compared to the same month last year, leading to more than 1 billion passengers using the MTA’s subway system this year.

Creating Opportunities for Young New Yorkers: During the summer of 2022, Mayor Adams expanded summer youth job opportunities, serving over 100,000 young people — that includes approximately 90,000 jobs through the Summer Youth Employment Program and approximately 10,000 through other city programs, the largest in the city’s history. The city operated the largest summer academic and enrichment program in New York City history, Summer Rising, serving 110,000 elementary and middle school students. The administration also expanded the Fair Futures program so that all youth in foster care, ages 11 to 26, and youth in juvenile justice programs, are connected with dedicated coaches or tutors. Additionally, Mayor Adams launched the Career Readiness and Modern Youth Apprenticeship program, connecting 3,000 students with paid multi-year apprenticeships.

Launching Dyslexia Screenings for Public School Students: Building off Mayor Adams’ own experience as someone with dyslexia, all 100,000 New York City educators are now trained in dyslexia awareness through Made by Dyslexia. The 80 elementary schools, 60 middle schools, and 20 high schools with the highest rates of dyslexia risk will have additional experts at their sites, and all students at risk of dyslexia in kindergarten through 2nd grade will be screened to meet the needs of these children.

Securing Billions to Provide Quality, Equitable Childcare to Working Families: Mayor Adams secured $4 billion in the state budget for childcare, helping working families manage these rising costs. Mayor Adams also cleared the childcare voucher waitlist, allowing families of 36,000 additional children to apply for affordable and highly-subsidized childcare. These efforts, along with additional tax credits and abatements, moves the city closer to providing all working families with the quality childcare they deserve.  

Expanding the Gifted and Talented Programs for Public School Students: Mayor Adams added 100 kindergarten seats and 1,000 third-grade seats to Gifted and Talented schools, expanding both entry points to all districts and serving every community citywide for the first time in history. The city also expanded early childhood special-education seats across the five boroughs, putting the city on track to provide a seat for every child with a disability by February 2023.

Putting Hundreds of Millions of Dollars Back in New Yorkers Pockets with the Earned Income Tax Credit for Families: Mayor Adams secured an enhancement of the Earned Income Tax Credit, with a $250 million annual commitment from the city and a one-time state payment estimated at $100 million — reaching 800,000 New York City residents. Single parents will see a 400 percent increase in their benefits, for a total of $905. A married couple with two children will see a 200 percent increase, for a total of $897.

Creating the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) Preservation Trust to Deliver on Promises to NYCHA Residents: Mayor Adams got the NYCHA Public Housing Preservation Trust bill signed into law, which will deliver repairs to 25,000 NYCHA families through an innovative 100 percent public model, with residents scheduled to begin voting in 2023. 

Connecting People in Need to Stable Housing: Since the beginning of the year, the Adams administration has connected nearly 3,000 households to supportive housing, well surpassing the number of New Yorkers connected to supportive housing in 2021, and putting the city on track to meet its goal of connecting 4,000 households to supportive housing by mid-2023.

Providing Free Internet and Cable to Hundreds of Thousands in NYCHA: Mayor Adams launched Big Apple Connect to provide free high-speed internet and basic cable TV to 300,000 New Yorkers living in more than 200 NYCHA developments by the end of 2023.

Reviving New York City’s Tourism Industry: New York City is estimated to receive 56 million visitors in 2022 — a 70 percent surge from 2021, and a return to 85 percent of pre-pandemic levels. Additionally, New York City had the highest hotel occupancy amongst the top 25 markets. 

Making New York City Streets Safer: Thanks to Mayor Adams’ advocacy, the city was able to transition its 2,000 automated speed cameras to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week on August 1. Speed cameras and automated traffic enforcement are proven, effective safety tools shown to reduce speeding by 72 percent. Additionally, the city has completed safety improvements at 1,400 intersections, exceeding an initial goal of 1,000. As a result of all this work, New York City has recorded 88 pedestrian fatalities, among the fewest to date in the city’s recorded history. 

Building More Housing: Since the beginning of the year, the city has approved approximately 12,000 new homes through 40 packages of zoning changes, including approximately 7,500 income-restricted homes. In November, Mayor Adams also announced a plan to build 2,500 units of 100 percent affordable housing (the city’s largest 100 percent affordable housing new development in four decades) and the city’s first Major League Soccer stadium in Willets Point. This all built on the city’s financing, this past fiscal year, of the creation and preservation of 21,951 affordable homes, including 16,042 affordable homes financed by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, as well as securing financing for the upgrade and repair of 5,909 public housing apartments. NYCHA also completed renovations for over 2,600 public housing units.

Making New York City the Center of Life Science Jobs: Mayor Adams announced an agreement to create the Science Park and Research Campus Kips Bay, an innovation hub that will generate approximately $25 billion in economic impact for the city over the next 30 years; create 10,000 jobs, including 2,000 permanent jobs; and transform Hunter College’s Brookdale Campus on East 25th Street and First Avenue into new, state-of-the-art teaching and commercial facilities.

Supporting Immigrants Coming to New York City: New York City has led the nation’s response to the influx of asylum seekers through an interagency operation that managed the arrival of buses; opening approximately 70 emergency shelters and humanitarian relief centers; and establishing the first-in-the-nation Asylum Seekers Resources Navigation Center and, subsequently, 10 additional centers, to provide comprehensive services, including access to health care, educational enrollment, and legal assistance, among other services. Additionally, the Adams administration responded to international emergencies with the Ukrainian and Haitian Response Initiatives to provide legal services to Ukrainian and Haitian refugees. 

Getting Stuff Clean: Mayor Adams announced a $14.5 million sanitation investment to help build a cleaner, more welcoming city across all five boroughs that targeted more than 1,000 areas that have long been neglected. Mayor Adams also invested a record $22 million in new funding for litter basket service, with baskets now emptied approximately 50,000 more times per week citywide when compared to 2021. New Yorkers are tired of seeing overflowing litter baskets, trash under overpasses, and an out-of-control rat population, so the Adams administration intends to deliver a more functional and more well-kept city for all.

Creating Largest Composting Initiative in the Nation: Mayor Adams announced the nation’s largest curbside composting program as weekly collection of compostable materials became automatic and guaranteed for every resident in Queens. 

Clearing the Backlog of Unpaid City Contracts: More than $5.3 billion in money owed to non-profits has now been unlocked through the ‘Clear the Backlog’ initiative, resulting in 3,303 previously unregistered, retroactive contract actions being registered or submitted for registration — helping 624 providers of essential community services get paid.

Staying Ahead of COVID-19: Mayor Adams launched a first-in-the-nation Mobile Test to Treat program to provide immediate access to COVID-19 antiviral treatment pills, which are proven to reduce hospitalization and death. The city also handed out more than 75 million free at-home COVID-19 test kits to ensure New Yorkers would have accurate test results right away when needed. 

Building an Equitable Cannabis Industry: Mayor Adams launched Cannabis NYC, a first-of-its-kind initiative to build a legal and equitable cannabis industry that supports entrepreneurs, especially those disproportionately impacted by the criminalization of cannabis, and their workers as the industry develops. Through a two-week pilot program, the Adams administration also helped to protect justice-involved individuals who were promised the first opportunity at new cannabis licenses by conducting enforcement against unlicensed establishments selling cannabis — resulting in the seizure of more than $4 million worth of products being sold illegally and the issuance of more than 550 summonses.

Cutting Red Tape for Small Businesses: The Adams administration made reforms to 118 city regulations as part of “Small Business Forward,” which will save New York City small businesses approximately $8.9 million annually. 

Protecting Vulnerable Workers

Mayor Adams delivered first-of-their-kind new protections for New York City’s more than 60,000 app-based restaurant delivery workers to raise labor standards and promote better working conditions in the food delivery industry. The Adams administration also launched the historic Medallion Relief Program+, which has provided more than $316.5 million in debt relief for over 1,200 medallion owners.

Expanding Services for LGBTQ+ New Yorkers: Mayor Adams announced a $6.7 Million investment in new and expanded services for LGBTQ+ New Yorkers, including a first-of-its-kind funding for capacity building of transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC)/non-binary (NB)-led nonprofits, legal services, and support for homeless youth.   

Supporting Minority- and Women-Owned Businesses Enterprises (M/WBE): Mayor Adams helped secure legislation in Albany allowing the city to increase discretionary spending for M/WBE businesses and organizations from $500,000 to $1 million. Mayor Adams also achieved the city’s 10-year goal of awarding $25 billion in contracts to M/WBEs three years ahead of schedule.

Making New York an Inclusive City for All Ages: Mayor Adams launched the City Cabinet for Older New Yorkers, a first-of-its-kind multiagency collaboration created to seek coordination and efficiency across departments, leverage resources, and shape current and future services to better serve older adults.

Expanding Weekly Programming at Recreation Centers by 1,400 Additional Hours: The Adams administration supported New York City youth by announcing that the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks) would expand recreation center hours by 1,400 hours at nine locations across the city. In October 2022, with an investment of $7 million, NYC Parks expanded hours and programming at nine recreation centers across the city, resulting in a 17 percent expansion of citywide recreation center hours. A total of 130 full time staff, including programming, maintenance, and security staff, were hired to support this expansion. Once fully-trained and onboarded, programming staff will deliver more than 1,400 additional hours of weekly programming.

 

Biden Administration Provides 275 Million Dollars of Additional Aid to Ukraine

The United States has decided to provide an additional $275 million in military aid to Ukraine to support its efforts in repulsing Russian attacks. In a statement from the White House, it was stated that President Biden approved the aid decision.

The statement also noted that the aim of the new military aid is to strengthen Ukraine's air defense systems in particular. 

The $275 million of military aid provided by the US administration includes High-Motion Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers, 80,000 155-millimeter artillery shells, armored military Humvees, and 150 electric generators.

John Kirby, Strategic Communications Coordinator for the US National Security Council, also told White House reporters that this is the 27th aid package sent to Ukraine based on the approval of the president but without the approval of Congress due to the nature of the emergency.

However, no details were shared about the counter-air defense capability or the counter-unmanned aerial systems equipment, two systems that seem to be new to Ukraine.

A senior Pentagon official said last month that the increase in Russian missile attacks on Ukraine had been partly designed to deplete Kyiv's air defense resources and establish dominance over the country's skies.

To counter these attacks, the US has sent sophisticated anti-aircraft National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) to Ukraine. These systems have been in operation for several weeks.

Washington had previously announced that it had sent four Avenger short-range air defense systems and HAWK missiles that use Raytheon-made Stinger missiles.

Since February 24, when Russia's attacks on Ukraine began, the US administration has provided around $19 billion and 300 million in security assistance to Ukraine.

White House Press Secretary: U.S. is in touch with Turkey over tanker delays

White House Press Secretary: U.S. is in touch with Turkey over tanker delays

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told at the press briefing that the White House believes the issue can be resolved. ”We’ve been in touch with Turkey about how the price cap only applies to Russian oil and explained that the cap doesn’t necessitate additional checks on ships passing through Turkish waters. Our understanding is that virtually all of the delayed tankers are not carrying oil from Russia and are not affected by the cap. So, Turkey has made clear they share our interest in a well-supplied market in allowing seaborne oil to transit the — transit the Turkish Straits. They have made clear their goal is to resolve this issue as quickly as possible. And so, again, we’ve been — we’ve been in touch with Turkey, and this is how we — how we’re moving forward. “ Press Secretary Jean-Pierre said.


Almost 20 loaded crude tankers are waiting to cross through Turkiye’s Bosphorus Strait and were carrying Kazakh-origin oil, which is not under a Russian oil price cap policy initiated by the EU. Tanker congestion is estimated to hold over 20 million barrels of oil, equaling 1.2 billion dollars.

U.S. Treasury Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo has spoken with Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal to discuss the implementation of the price cap and stress that it did not necessitate additional checks on ships passing through Turkish territorial waters.


European price cap on Russian oil that came into effect last Monday. The cap is supposed to limit Russian’s revenues without adding to stress on the world economy by reducing supply. 

Turkiye asks that vessels prove they have insurance that will pay out in light of the new sanctions before allowing them to pass through the Bosphorus strait linking the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.

Ongoing communication continues between U.S. and Turkish officials.

Secretary Blinken: Russia 'Weaponizing Food' by Suspending Grain Exports

U.S. Secretary of State Blinken, saying that the U.S. regrets Russia's withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative agreement, calls on Moscow to continue the deal. Here is the full statement from State Department:

"The United States regrets Russia’s suspension of its participation in the operations of the U.N.-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative.  We urge all parties to keep this essential, life-saving Initiative functioning. 

The Black Sea Grain Initiative has already moved more than 9 million metric tons of food and brought prices down around the world, which has been critically important for low- and middle-income countries.  It has been a success and must continue. 

Any act by Russia to disrupt these critical grain exports is essentially a statement that people and families around the world should pay more for food or go hungry. 

 In suspending this arrangement, Russia is again weaponizing food in the war it started, directly impacting low- and middle-income countries and global food prices, and exacerbating already dire humanitarian crises and food insecurity. 

We urge the Government of Russia to resume its participation in the Initiative, fully comply with the arrangement, and work to ensure that people around the world continue to be able to receive the benefits facilitated by the Initiative."

What would happen next?

After Russia's decision, the United Nations Security Council is expected to meet this week. In addition, Turkey, which plays a vital role in the grain agreement with Russia, is scheduled to meet with Turkish and American officials this week. 

The Black Sea Grain Initiative, carried out under the coordination of Turkey for the solution to the global food crisis, was signed on July 22, in Istanbul, between Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, and the United Nations (U.N.) under the auspices of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

 

President Biden: The member of the Security Council, Russia, has deliberately violated the UN Charter

In his speech to the 77th U.N. General Assembly, Biden deprecated Russia. The U.S. president said, 'Speak up. A United Nations Security Council member invaded its neighbor and attempted to erase a sovereign state from the map.'

Criticizing Russia's President Vladimir Putin by saying, 'Ukraine's invasion was chosen by one man, to be very blunt,' Biden added, 'President Putin has been making overt nuclear threats against Europe and a reckless disregard of the responsibilities of the non-proliferation regime. Now Russia is calling for more soldiers to join the fight, and the Kremlin is organizing a sham referendum to try to annex parts of Ukraine. This is an extremely significant violation of the United Nations Charter.' 

Support for the enlargement of the U.N. Security Council

U.S. President expressed his support for increasing permanent and non-permanent representatives on the U.N. Security Council.

Referring to countries in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, the U.S. has been supporting permanent seats; Biden also said, 'I believe the time has come for this institution to become more inclusive so that it can better respond to the needs of today's world.'

President Biden also stated that members of the U.N. Security Council should defend the U.N. Charter and refrain from using veto except in rare, extraordinary situations.

Current UNSC Structure:

The Security Council held its first session on 17 January 1946 at Church House, Westminster, London. Since its first meeting, the Security Council has taken permanent residence at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. It also travelled to many cities, holding sessions in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 1972, in Panama City, Panama, and in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1990.

A representative of each of its members must be present at all times at UN Headquarters so that the Security Council can meet at any time as the need arises. 

The Security Council has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. Under the Charter of the United Nations, all Member States are obligated to comply with Council decisions.

The Council is composed of 15 Members:

 Five permanent members: China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly (with end of term year): Albania (2023) ,Brazil (2023), Gabon (2023) ,Ghana (2023) ,India (2022), Ireland (2022), Kenya (2022) ,Mexico (2022), Norway (2022) ,United Arab Emirates (2023)

 Non-Council Member States More than 50 United Nations Member States have never been Members of the Security Council.

Secretary Blinken on Latin America Tour

The U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken begins a tour of Latin American countries, including Columbia, Chile, and Peru. U.S. secretary will meet these three countries' recently elected leftist leaders.

Secretary Blinken will reassert the USA's commitments to the region during his Latin America trip.

During his trip, Blinken will also attend a ministerial summit and hold talks on matters like migration, drug trafficking, post-pandemic recovery, climate change, and Venezuela.It is reported that the USA wants to show its southern neighbors with this trip that they remain a policy priority despite other geo-political issues such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine or China's threat to Taiwan.

U.S. considers it important to have a positive relationship with Latin America's newly elected left-wing leaders.

Under Secretary of the U.S. Department of State Brian Nichols states that they do not evaluate countries based on their political images but rather on democracy, the rule of law, and human rights.

Secretary Blinken's other objective with this trip is to solidify America's regional partnership despite China's increasing demands.

Bogota's policy for Venezuela and the war on drugs are expected to be the talking points of Blinken's visit to Colombia, his first stop on this trip.

Blinken will visit Chile following Colombia. Chile's new president, Gabriel Boric, had previously criticized President Joe Biden for excluding Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua from the Summit of the Americas.

The last stop for Blinken in Latin America will be Peru. The Minister of Peru's Foreign Affairs states they will discuss the democratic regime, the fight against drug smuggling, and immigration issues.

Latest Developments of U.S. Potential Sale of F-16s to Turkey

The discussions in Congress after the meeting between the U.S. President, Joe Biden, and Turkish President Erdogan at the NATO Leaders' Summit in Madrid, when President Biden declared, "We must sell F-16s to Turkey," are still ongoing.

Jim Inhofe, a U.S. Senate's Armed Services Committee ranking member, stated, "I support ongoing discussions. It's in the best interest of the U.S. and NATO to keep Turkey in the fold and drive a wedge between Turkey and Russia."

Democrat Senator Shaheen, Foreign Affairs Committee Member, said, "Turkey remains a valuable ally and a critical regional security partner for the United States and NATO. I remain committed to maintaining the already robust bilateral security relationship between our two countries. The F16 upgrade package submitted by the Biden administration - like any foreign arms sale - will ultimately have to go through a comprehensive review by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to ensure that the deal will benefit our joint security interests. As a member of that committee, I will work with the committee and ask questions of the administration to thoroughly review their request." 

Republican Congressman Chris Smith, a House Foreign Affairs Committee Member, stated that sellingF-16 fighter jets and modernization kits to Turkey is an egregious mistake and would go against CAATSA.

Democrat Congresswoman Titus led members of the Hellenic Caucus in reaction to Biden Administration's statement regarding F-16 Sales to Turkey. Her joint statement with five of her colleagues said thatWhile Turkey's relenting on their opposition to Sweden and Finland joining NATO is a welcome development, there are still too many outstanding issues to move forward with the sale of F-16s to Erdoğan's government."

While Senator Graham (R-SC), who visited Ankara recently, stated that President Biden supports the delivery of F-16s to Turkey, many other Senate Foreign Affairs Committee members will wait for the Biden administration's facts about the potential sale to Turkey and then will make a decision. 

Gregory Meeks, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, and four delegate members are currently visiting Turkey after a visit to Greece. The U.S. delegation includes House Foreign Affairs Committee Members Ted Deutch, David Cicilline, G.K. Butterfield, and Stacy Plaskett. 

35 House Representatives sent a bipartisan letter to President Biden opposing the proposed Sale of F-16 Fighter Jets to Turkey yesterday.

Biden administration's support for Turkey continues.

While White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, "We've been very clear about the F-16. That conversation about the F-16 and Turkey has been around for some time. We talked about this several months ago. So there's nothing new. The president has supported that effort," 

"The United States supports Turkey's modernization of its fighter fleet because that is a contribution to NATO security and therefore American security," said Celeste Wallander, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, on a press call.

Regarding Turkey's demand for F-16s, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Jones, said: at the Foreign Press Center briefing "We support the sale, and President Biden has said that he is willing to work with Congress on this matter."

In September of last year, Turkey requested the purchase of 40 F16 fighter aircraft and nearly 80 F-16 modernization kits for its existing warplanes. 

The U.S. Department of State noted in a letter sent to Congress in March that “The Administration believes that there are nonetheless compelling long-term NATO alliance unity and capability interests, as well as U.S. national security, economic and commercial interests that are supported by appropriate U.S. defense trade ties with Turkey,”

It is not clear when Biden will meet with members of Congress on the F-16 issue; however, a delegation from the Grand National Assembly of Turkey is expected to come to Washington DC to meet with their U.S. counterparts shortly.

The Latest Update on the Biden Administration's China Policy

Journalist Ali Cinar shared the latest developments  on the Biden Administration's China Policy. Biden Administration is getting ready to announce easing in some China tariffs soon.

U.S. President Joe Biden has not announced a formal roadmap for establishing future trade and political relations between the U.S. and China since January 2021. After President Biden's comments supporting Taiwan's defense during his May visit to Japan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Loyd Austin stated that the U.S. has a "One China" policy.

To combat inflation, President Biden asked Gina Raimondo, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, to work on removing some of the tariffs implemented during President Trump's Administration.

Similarly, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said some tariffs on China inherited from the Administration of former President Trump served "no strategic purpose" and added that President Biden was reviewing them as a way to bring down inflation. "We all recognize that China engages in a range of unfair trade practices that are important to address, but the tariffs we inherited, some serve no strategic purpose and raise the cost to consumers," she added.

According to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, Washington will actively pressure China, the second-largest economy in the world, to alter its business practices. Tai emphasized that the U.S. "will not be indifferent anymore" to the rules of China.

Jake Sullivan, the U.S. National Security Advisor, announced that President Biden and Chinese President Xi would communicate by phone within the next few weeks.

Western allies have become more cautious about China's actions. The G-7 Leader's announcement of a $600 billion Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment to compete with China's Belt and Road Initiative was a solid message to China. In addition, NATO has the first-time addressed challenges that China poses toward NATO's security, interests, and values under the NATO Concept document.

There is a possibility that President Biden may announce this week a rollback of some United States tariffs on Chinese consumer goods -- as well as a new probe into industrial subsidies that could lead to more duties in strategic areas such as technology.

Recently, Secretary of the Treasury Yellen held a virtual meeting with Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China Liu He as part of the Administration's ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication. Both discussed macroeconomic and financial developments in the U.S. and China, the global economic outlook amid rising commodity prices, and food security challenges. 

There is a possibility that President Biden may announce this week a rollback of some United States tariffs on Chinese consumer goods -- as well as a new probe into industrial subsidies that could lead to more duties in strategic areas such as technology.

No Agreement Reached Concerning China in the U.S. Congress

The House of Representatives passed the China Competition Bill in February and the Senate in March. It is predicted that the law will provide American manufacturers with $52 billion to reduce U.S. dependency on Chinese products like semiconductors.

In regulating the new bill, it is predicted that American manufacturers will be provided with a $52 billion fund to reduce dependency on products like semiconductors produced by China. Similarly, a $2 billion fund will be provided to promote the production of equipment like critical electronic devices, defense kits, and automobile parts. Supply chain and research and development exercises will also be supported.

Furthermore, regulations on Taiwan are included in the resolution. The issues of human rights and democracy in China, funding cultural exchange between the U.S. and Taiwan, and acknowledging Taiwan as a strategic component of U.S. policy for the Indo-Pacific region.

While efforts are being made to develop a final resolution that both parties can support, Democrats and Republicans are at odds. Democrats in Congress said last week that they believed nothing was standing in the way of them passing the resolution introduced by Chuck Schumer, Majority Leader of the Senate, and Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. According to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, if the Democrats' demands are not met, Republicans will not permit the passage of this resolution through their covert economic agenda.

Industrial groups, including automotive suppliers, have paid close attention to these disputes because they involve funding for developing these semiconductor chips. In a letter to Congress, the CEOs of numerous Fortune 500 companies expressed their support for the law's implementation regarding chip production.

Ali Cinar is a journalist based in Washington, DC. He represents Ciner Media US Group(Haberturk TV and Bloomberg HT). Ali Cinar was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and was the youngest Turkish American to receive this award in over 30 years. He is a Ph.D. candidate in Communication at Liberty University

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