Turkish-American ties never cease to surprise. They remain mired in myriad discords, from the safe zone plan in northern Syria to Ankara’s acquisition of Russian missiles. In an intriguing episode this week, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was asserting Washington’s intent to penalize Ankara over the S-400 missiles, as Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross was holding talks in Turkey on a quest to boost bilateral trade.
During his five-day visit, which began Sept. 6 and was the longest ever by a US Cabinet member, Ross met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, ministers and the business community, including representatives of 43 American and 52 Turkish companies. As Ross confirmed, US President Donald Trump and Erdogan have set a target of $100 billion in annual bilateral trade — a big jump from the some $20 billion accomplished last year.
