By Ali Cinar - While the U.S. and Turkey have a diplomatic and strategic partnership as official NATO allies since 1952 (with the U.S. and Turkey having the largest armies in NATO), the relationship between the two countries has become strained because of what’s happening on the ground in Syria. That’s why face-to-face meeting between Turkey’s President Erdogan and President Trump was a significant step forward in resolving key disagreements.

By Ali Cinar- NYC - NYC Mayor de Blasio was with the Faith Leaders from across New York City to stand the against hate in all of its forms. Mayor made the following remarks during a press conference at the Upper East Side’s Temple Emanu-el.  “We will defend with our lives the synagogues of this city and the community of this city. We stand with you. We will not let anyone harm you. The NYPD “will be present in force to protect Jewish community institutions. New Yorkers don't look away from hatred and try to pretend that it doesn't exist. We confront it and we confront it together. Our hearts, our prayers and our solidarity go out to the people of Pittsburgh "

By Ali Cinar - Lately, the relationship between the U.S. and Turkey has taken a severe downfall. During the General Assembly of the United Nations, President Trump met with six world leaders while President Erdogan met with 14. However, other than a brief conversation at the United Nations corridor, the two leaders did not hold a formal meeting. Though there was much hope an improvement of relations would come with the presidency of Donald Trump, it has not occurred. Past disagreement between Turkey’s leadership and President Obama over the so-called Parallel State Structure in Turkey, an arm of the FETO as well as the Kurdistan Workers Party(PKK) seems to have spilled over into the administration of Donald Trump.

The relations between Turkey and the U.S. have recently undergone a sudden and unexpected deterioration. With the election of Trump, there was an expectation on the Turkish side that there would be some amelioration in the relations, because during President Obama's last term, there were contradictions due to differences in opinion between Turkey and the U.S. on issues such as on FETO and YPG. However, as the problems emerge, such as Trump's policy of arming the YPG more and more, not taking any steps regarding the FETO issue, the relations are at an impasse. Moreover, the arrest of Turkish citizens who worked in some of the U.S. Official Agencies within that period, some unfair pressures on Turkish citizens in the United States, imprisonment of Pastor Brunson, with the US discomfort on S400 subject the Turkey's rapprochement with countries like Russia and Iran being in search of new alternatives, left even deeper traces in the relationship. Just before 2018, visa suspension led to a trust issue, as it was not even the case during the crisis with Russia.