Erdoğan Does Not Meet Bolton: ‘His Counterpart is İbrahim Kalın’

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President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has confirmed that he did not meet with US National Security Adviser John Bolton, who was in Turkey as part of an official visit.

Bolton made a statement in Jerusalem, Israel one day before his visit to Turkey and stated that "the US would not withdraw its forces from Syria without protecting the Kurds." Bolton also indicated that he would raise the issue during his meeting with Erdoğan.

CLICK - US: No Withdrawal Till Kurds Protected; Turkey: Allegation That We Target Kurds Irrational

Announced by White House reporter

Jennifer Jacobs, White House reporter of Bloomberg News, announced on Twitter that "Erdoğan refused to give appointment to Bolton."

Senior White House Correspondent for Bloomberg and CNN Political Analyst Margaret Talev also commented on the issue on Twitter:

"Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan refused to meet with John Bolton and used a speech in parliament to rip Trump administration's proposals that a U.S.-backed Kurdish group play a key role in Syria after US withdrawal."

Bolton has left Turkey

Bolton and the ones accompanying him, who came to Ankara yesterday (January 7), left Turkey with a private plane at 1.45 p.m. today.

During his visit, Bolton was accompanied by Chair of US Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph F. Dunford and US Special Representative for Syria Engagement and Special Envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS James Jeffrey.

Erdoğan confirmed after the group meeting

Speaking at the weekly group meeting of the AKP, President and AKP Chair Erdoğan responded to the questions of journalists regarding the statement that Bolton made in Israel as well as the meeting that they did not have:

"The counterpart of Bolton is (Presidential Spokesperson) İbrahim Kalın anyway. Therefore, Mr. İbrahim Kalın would meet him. If we had deemed it necessary, we would have also said 'Yes' to such a request.

"But, first Mr. İbrahim Kalın, then our Chief of General Staff... They have already held their meetings. We, of course, have a tight schedule at the moment. There is no need for such a thing now." (HK/SD)