White House spokesperson explains why Biden hasn't had a phone call with Erdoğan yet

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US President Joe Biden will have a phone talk with his counterpart from Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, "at some point" in the future, the White House spokesperson said at a press conference yesterday (March 5).

"Certainly the president has many world leaders he still needs to call, and he will venture to do that in the coming weeks and months," Jen Psaki said, responding to a question.

Erdoğan congratulated Biden on his election win on November 10, four days after the race was called for him, but the two leaders have yet to have a phone conversation.

Donald Trump, Biden's predecessor, had a phone call with Erdoğan within 24 hours after his election in 2016.

While Trump's dialogue with Erdoğan was key to the relations between Washington and Ankara during his term at the office, Biden last month pledged a "return to diplomacy" in the US foreign policy.

Last August, Erdoğan lashed out at Biden after his remarks in January 2020 about supporting Turkey's opposition if he became the president resurfaced.

In an interview with The New York Times, Biden called Erdoğan an "autocrat" and said he had to "pay a price."

In response, Erdoğan said, "We had a friendship. We had conversations, we had tea together. How can you use such an expression for us?"

Turkey and the US have a number of issues to settle, most notably Ankara's purchase of the S-400 surface-to-air missile systems from Russia and the case against Turkey's state-run Halkbank in the US. (EKN/VK)