ANKARA (Reuters) - When Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan last received Joe Biden on official business, in August 2016, Erdogan had just sent tanks into Syria. Erdogan has also said he will seek good relations with Biden, but he insists Turkey needs to protect its interests. “There is obvious tension.”THE ‘A-TEAM’When Biden visited Turkey in 2016, the country was in shock from the failed coup. Instead, encouraged by Erdogan, Trump promised to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria and hand responsibility for fighting Islamic State in Syria to Turkey. Two months after taking office, Biden has yet to call the Turkish president.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 25, 2021 11:03 UTC