Turkey has once again been excluded from the list of invitees for an online summit hosted by US President Joe Biden that will focus on democracy on March 29-30, according to a report by Voice of America Turkish.
US National Security Council Senior Director for Democracy and Human Rights Robert Berschinski confirmed to VoA that Turkey was not invited, without giving a reason. “Turkey remains an important NATO ally and partner,” Berschinski added. “The US government has been transparent about its assessment of Turkey’s democracy and human rights situaton.”
The US State Department’s 2022 Report on Human Rights highlighted widespread human rights violations in Turkey, including credible accounts of killings, disappearances, torture, and detention of thousands.
Biden also spoke out about Turkey’s deteriorating human rights record, which his predecessor Donald Trump had ignored.
The relationship between the two NATO allies has been strained since Turkey’s 2019 purchase of Russian-made S-400 missile defence systems, which US officials believe can be used to spy on Western defences.
The exclusion may further strain Turkey’s relationship with the United States.
