Erdoğan’s chief adviser Kılıç says Türkiye-U.S. ties go beyond military links

Akif Çağatay Kılıç, Chief Foreign Policy and Security Adviser to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said at a panel in New York that Türkiye-U.S. relations extend beyond military cooperation. Kılıç said NATO is an important element of ties between the two countries, while the event marked the 100.

Scraper SystemSeptember 22, 2026, 11:08 AM

Erdoğan’s chief adviser Kılıç says Türkiye-U.S. ties go beyond military links

Akif Çağatay Kılıç, Chief Foreign Policy and Security Adviser to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said Türkiye-U.S. relations are not based solely on military cooperation. Kılıç said NATO is an important element of the relationship between the two countries.

Speaking at a panel titled “Türkiye-U.S. Relations: On the Way to the Centennial” held in New York during United Nations General Assembly week, Kılıç said the relationship between Türkiye and the United States differed from many other relationships.

The historical and regional dimensions of ties

Çağrı Erhan, deputy chair of the Presidential Security and Foreign Policy Council; James Jeffrey, Türkiye’s former ambassador to Washington and a retired diplomat; and Matthew Bryza, the United States’ former ambassador to Azerbaijan, also took part in the panel.

Drawing attention to the historical dimension of Türkiye-U.S. relations, Erhan said the ties dated back to the 1830s during the Ottoman Empire. Erhan said the United States entered World War I but did not declare war on the Ottoman Empire, adding that Washington declared war on Germany.

Kılıç said the region and geography in which Türkiye is situated had changed significantly since the 1950s and 1960s. Saying that Türkiye’s presence in the region had continued, Kılıç described Ankara as a key and central point in terms of stability.

Erdoğan’ın Başdanışmanı Kılıç: Türkiye-ABD ilişkileri askeri bağlarla sınırlı değil

Jeffrey: Türkiye and the United States complement each other

James Jeffrey said Ankara and Washington shared common interests and values. He said the two countries belonged to the same world beyond institutions such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and NATO.

Jeffrey said Türkiye and the United States complemented each other, adding that Ankara could exert influence across the Mediterranean or over much of Europe. Jeffrey said coordination between the two capitals was strong, adding that differences of opinion were kept within certain limits and that consensus was maintained most of the time.

Photo exhibition marks the centennial of diplomatic relations

A photo exhibition was opened at the entrance to the hall where the panel was held to commemorate the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Türkiye and the United States. The exhibition featured approximately 30 special photographs showing high-level meetings between Turkish leaders and U.S. officials in the United States, as well as visits by American presidents to Türkiye.

Those attending the event showed strong interest in the exhibition.

Erdoğan’s chief adviser Kılıç says Türkiye-U.S. ties go beyond military links