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Türkiye-U.S. relations extend well beyond military cooperation, though NATO remains a key pillar of the partnership, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's chief foreign policy and security adviser, Akif Cagatay Kilic, said Monday at a panel marking the centennial of bilateral diplomatic ties.
"The relationship that we have with the U.S. is profoundly different to a lot of the relationships that we have around the world," Kilic told the panel, titled "Türkiye-U.S. Relations on the Eve of the Centennial," organized by Türkiye's Communications Directorate during UN General Assembly week.
Stressing that the relationship is not based solely on military ties, Kilic added: "But I think NATO is an important part of our relationship."
Kilic said the region and geography Türkiye occupied in the 1950s and 1960s had changed significantly, producing a very different regional landscape today, but that Türkiye's presence remains a constant factor in that geography.
He described Ankara as "a main and pivotal point in stability."
The panel also included Cagri Erhan, deputy chair of the Presidential Council for Security and Foreign Policy, former U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye James Jeffrey and former U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Matthew Bryza.
Erhan emphasized the historical depth of the relationship, noting it dates to the 1830s under the Ottoman Empire, and recalled that although the U.S. entered World War I, it never formally declared war on the Ottomans.
"They declared war on the Germans, not Ottomans," he said.
Jeffrey highlighted the shared interests and values linking Ankara and Washington.
"I could talk about the various organizations from the IMF and the World Bank and OECD and NATO, etc. But it's more than the institutions. And it's best understood by how China, Russia and Iran don't live in that world," he said.
Jeffrey said the two countries "complement each other," with Türkiye able to "influence the whole Mediterranean or much of Europe."
He described the coordination between Ankara and Washington as "extraordinary," saying: "Even more when we're disagreeing, to keep that disagreement within constraints, when we're agreeing, which is what happens most of the time."
A photo exhibition marking the centennial of Turkish-American diplomatic relations was also opened by the Communications Directorate at the panel's venue, featuring roughly 30 photographs of high-level contacts between Turkish leaders and U.S. officials, including visits by U.S. presidents to Türkiye, which drew significant interest from attendees.
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Speaking separately at the "100 Years of Friendship Gala" in New York, Erdogan said conflicts, wars and crises facing the region and the world require Türkiye and the U.S. to remain in close dialogue.
"Conflicts, wars and crises that we face in our region and the world require Türkiye and America to remain in close dialogue," President Erdogan said.
"Thanks to the dialogue and coordination we have established with America, we are achieving positive results for our countries on many issues whose global issues we are witnessing, particularly in the Middle East, but also from Africa to Asia. We are determined to continue this by redoubling our efforts in the coming period," he added.
The Turkish president cited what he called his "sincere and exceptional dialogue" with U.S. President Donald Trump and Trump's July visit to Ankara, saying Türkiye is ready to deepen cooperation with the U.S. in nuclear energy, liquefied natural gas, civil aviation and high technology.
"Developing the defense industry, traditionally one of the strongest areas of our partnership, both bilaterally and within NATO is essential," President Erdogan said.
"We want to leave behind the barriers that should never have existed between two allies and gain new momentum. Deepening our cooperation with the United States in a multidimensional manner, including opportunities for joint production, will be in our mutual interest," he noted.
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