UPDATE 2- Images from Ukraine's Bucha are 'truly unacceptable': Turkiye

UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS FROM TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER

By Handan Kazanci

ISTANBUL (AA) - Images from the Ukrainian town of Bucha are "truly unacceptable" and "disgraceful for humanity," the Turkish foreign minister said on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters in Brussels, Mevlut Cavusoglu said that he had spoken with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba and told him that “the latest images from Bucha are truly unacceptable, disgraceful for humanity, and we have conveyed our discomfort (about it).”

The Turkish foreign minister was referring to scenes of apparent civilian massacres in Bucha, near Kyiv, which have drawn widespread outrage.
Cavusoglu is in Brussels where he attended the second and final day of the NATO foreign ministers' meeting on the Russia-Ukraine war.

The Russian war on Ukraine, which started on Feb. 24, has drawn international outrage, with the EU, US, and UK, among others, implementing tough financial sanctions on Moscow.

At least 1,611 civilians have been killed in Ukraine and 2,227 injured, according to UN estimates, with the true figure feared to be far higher.
More than 4.3 million Ukrainians have fled to other countries, with millions more internally displaced, according to the UN refugee agency.

- Talks on F-16s 'progressing positively'

On talks with the US for the modernization of Turkish F-16 fighter jets and the purchase of new ones, Cavusoglu said that they were "progressing positively."

He also underlined the importance of a letter from US State Department telling Congress that the potential sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkiye would serve US interests and bolster NATO unity.

Naz Durakoglu, the State Department's top official for legislative affairs, acknowledged in a letter to Congressman Frank Pallone the ongoing tensions over additional arms sales to Turkiye but maintained the sanctions and F-35 removal represent "a significant price paid" for Ankara's acquisition of S-400 missile defense systems from Russia.

The US under former President Donald Trump sanctioned Turkiye in 2020 after Ankara purchased the advanced Russian S-400 air defense system and removed Turkiye the prior year from the F-35 joint strike fighter program.

Washington argues that the S-400 could be used by Moscow to covertly obtain data on the F-35 jets and is inoperable with NATO systems. Ankara has maintained, however, that the S-400 would not be integrated into NATO systems and said it poses no risks to the F-35.

Cavusoglu also reiterated Turkiye's discomfort in various issues related to the US that it sees as matters of national security, including the assistance Washington provides to the YPG/PKK terrorist organization in Syria and its supply of training and arms to the group.

Noting that talks on Monday between senior US and Turkish diplomatic staff in Ankara had been positive after President Joe Biden proposed a joint strategic mechanism between the two countries, Cavusoglu said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had invited him to Washington on May 18.

He added that during that meeting, he would discuss this mechanism at the level of foreign ministers. "We want this mechanism to be results-oriented and efficient," he added.

- Normalization efforts with Egypt

On relations between Turkiye and Egypt, Cavusoglu said Ankara would continue to take steps to normalize ties.

Noting that Ankara and Cairo had mutually withdrawn their ambassadors since 2013, Cavusoglu said the embassies of the two countries were represented at the level of charge d'affaires.

He said the mandate of the charge d'affaires at the Turkish Embassy in Cairo expired and that a new diplomat would be appointed at the same rank.

"When we decide to appoint mutual ambassadors, we will, of course, appoint ambassadors."

- UK lifts export restrictions

Cavusoglu also said that he has spoken to British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.

“We followed up the issues that came to the fore in the meeting between (British) Prime Minister Boris Johnson and our President (Recep Tayyip Erdogan) in this hall about 15 days ago,” he said, adding that one of these issues was the engine of Turkiye's TF-X National Combat Aircraft.

“The UK has lifted export restrictions,” said Cavusoglu, welcoming the decision.

“In the defense industry, we want to improve our cooperation in important projects including warplanes, warships, and aircraft carriers,” he said, adding during his meeting with the British counterpart they also followed up on the decisions taken to improve cooperation between the two countries, especially in the field of energy.

Noting that the Free Trade Agreement should also be expanded, Cavusoglu said that he is expected to come together with his counterpart plus interior ministers of the two countries.