Secretary of State: US willing to cooperate with Türkiye in Syria and beyond

The United States has expressed its willingness to renew cooperation with Türkiye, particularly in Syria and other key regions, as tensions between the NATO allies rise.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio highlighted the importance of maintaining strong ties, noting that President Donald Trump is keen to restart a positive relationship with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s administration, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Rubio stressed the shared interests between the two countries, particularly their partnership in NATO, despite growing differences in recent years.

Rubio, who met with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Washington on March 25, acknowledged the contentious issues facing the bilateral relationship, including the recent wave of anti-government protests and arrests in Türkiye.

He said that he had raised concerns regarding the detention of protesters following the arrest of Istanbul's mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, on charges of corruption. The arrest of Erdoğan’s chief political rival on March 23 has sparked the largest anti-government protests in a decade, with thousands taking to the streets across the country in defiance of the government.

“We’re watching, we’ve expressed concern, we don’t like to see instability like that in the governance of any country that’s such a close ally, especially,” Rubio told reporters on March 27. He added that the U.S. was monitoring the situation closely, expressing concern over the scale of the protests and the reported mass detentions.

Turkish authorities have arrested 1,879 individuals since the protests began on March 19, with 260 facing charges and awaiting trial. Erdoğan, who is trailing İmamoğlu in some opinion polls, has dismissed the protests as a "show" and warned that legal consequences await demonstrators. Türkiye's main opposition party has called for continued protests, which have only added to the tension between the government and its critics.

The protests were triggered by İmamoğlu’s arrest, pending trial for corruption. His detention is seen by many as an attempt to neutralise a major political threat to Erdoğan, who has been in power for over two decades. The protests reflect deep discontent with Erdoğan’s rule, as the country grapples with economic turmoil and a growing authoritarian crackdown.

Despite the domestic turmoil, the U.S. is keen to strengthen its strategic partnership with Türkiye. Rubio highlighted the importance of cooperation, particularly regarding military and regional security matters, and expressed the U.S. government's desire to work closely with Türkiye on shared interests, including Syria. “They are a NATO ally. We would like to cooperate with them in Syria and other places,” Rubio said.

In parallel, on March 28, Rubio stated that the US administration would review Russia's proposals to lift sanctions as part of the Ukraine settlement process. The review will be based on discussions held during recent consultations between US and Russian experts in Riyadh.

He clarified that some of the sanctions in question are not American, and thus beyond US control to lift. He emphasised that once the review is completed, the options will be presented to President Trump, who will make the final decision. Rubio declined to comment on European leaders' views on the timing of sanction relief.

Regarding the ongoing negotiations, Rubio noted that while Russia is engaging with the US and offering proposals, including ceasefire terms, it is too early to determine whether Russia is trying to delay the peace talks.

By Aghakazim Guliyev