As the Erdoğan-Biden meeting approaches…

The national conversation in Turkey remains focused on domestic politics as we get closer and closer to a critical meeting in the international arena where President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is set to meet U.S. President Joe Biden for the first time, on the margins of the June 14 NATO summit.

It is no secret that the relationship got off to a rocky start, as Biden referred to the 1915 events as a “genocide” right after his initial phone call with Erdoğan. Ankara’s response to Washington’s endorsement of Israel’s attacks on the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Gaza (in the name of self-defense) also put strains on bilateral relations.

Still, both sides are currently busy working on proposals, which could compartmentalize problem areas and promote cooperation. Clearly, policymakers have a difficult job, since chronic issues – such as disagreements over the S-400 air defense system, the F-35 fighter jet, the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) and the PKK/YPG terrorist organization – threaten to set the tone for the leaders’ meeting.

Erdoğan frequently reiterates his commitment to normalization in foreign policy and reforms on the home front. He has also said, multiple times, that he hopes to start “a new chapter” with the Biden administration.

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