US Secretary of State John Kerry held talks with Turkey's leaders on the Syria crisis Friday amid a row over comments by the Turkish premier branding Zionism a "crime against humanity."
"Obviously we disagree with that, we find it objectionable," Kerry said at a joint press conference in Ankara, referring to a speech delivered by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan that likened Zionism to fascism and anti-Semitism.
Kerry said he would raise the issue "very directly" with Erdogan and express Washington's hopes to see the two "vital allies" work together.
He met later Friday with Erdogan and had a "respectful but frank discussion of the prime minister's speech in Vienna," a senior State Department official said.
"The Secretary made US concerns very clear. The US and Turkish side agreed to stay in very close touch about the whole range of related issues, including their shared commitment to Middle East peace," the official said..
The top US diplomat's visit to Turkey came a day after Washington announced that it would for the first time provide direct aid to Syrian rebels in the form of food and medical supplies as well as $60 million in extra assistance to the political opposition.
But the discussions were overshadowed by renewed tension between Turkey and Israel, two major US allies, following comments Erdogan made earlier this week at a UN-sponsored forum in Vienna.
"As is the case for Zionism, anti-Semitism and fascism, it is inevitable that Islamophobia be considered a crime against humanity," Erdogan said on Wednesday.
Kerry said it was essential for Turkey and Israel to rekindle their "historic cooperation" but the situation got more complicated "in the aftermath of the speech that we heard in Vienna."
Turkish-Israeli relations have remained in free fall since Israeli troops raided a Gaza-bound Turkish aid ship in 2010, killing nine people.
"We have never made any hostile remarks against any nation," Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said in response to a question over Erdogan's remarks.
"If you want to talk about hostile you can call Israel's attitude that, after it killed nine civilians on high seas," he added.
"If some countries acted in a hostile way against our citizens' right to life, allow us to reserve our right to make a statement."
The incident strained bilateral military and diplomatic ties and left Washington in a bind to mend relations between its two key allies in the region.
Erdogan's comments were branded as "a dark and mendacious statement," by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while Washington said "characterisation of Zionism as a crime against humanity... is offensive and wrong."
A US official travelling with Kerry on his first trip abroad since taking over as secretary of state from Hillary Clinton said Washington was "dismayed" to hear Erdogan's remarks.
"This was particularly offensive frankly," said the official who requested anonymity.
As part of their agenda, Kerry and Davutoglu also discussed the nearly two-year civil war in neighbouring Syria which has killed at least 70,000 people according to the UN.
"Together we work to strengthen the Syrian opposition so that we are in a position now to be able to do more," Kerry said, adding that the US and Turkey were trying to reduce the money "flowing to Assad regime's war machine."
"There is no legitimacy in a regime that commits atrocity against its own people," he said.
Turkey, once a close ally of Syria, has joined the United States in its campaign to oust the regime of President Bashar al-Assad and has given shelter to Syrian rebels and to nearly 200,000 refugees along its volatile border.
In January, the US began deploying Patriot missiles, along with Germany and the Netherlands, as part of a NATO mission to protect Turkey from any spillover of the Syrian conflict.
Turkey had requested the measure after several cross-border shelling incidents, including one in October that killed five civilians.
Kerry also attended a memorial ceremony in Ankara, in honour of the US embassy guard who was killed in a February 1 suicide attack claimed by the fiercely anti-US Marxist group the Revolutionary People's Liberation Front (DHKP-C).
"The United States stands strongly with Turkey, our NATO ally, in the fight against terrorism in all its forms," including DHKP-C, al-Qaeda and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Kerry said.
Also on the agenda during the talks was Washington's pressure for increasing sanctions on Iran over its disputed nuclear programme.
AFP
Fri Mar 01 2013
![Zionism row casts cloud over Kerry's Turkey visit Zionism row casts cloud over Kerry's Turkey visit](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2013-03/81362180552_295x200.jpg)
10 Berita Pilihan - (16 Julai 2024
Antara pelbagai berita dalam dan luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
PAC beri tempoh tiga bulan kepada HRD Corp
Jawatankuasa Kira-kira Wang Negara (PAC) memberi tempoh tiga bulan kepada Perbadanan Pembangunan Sumber Manusia (HRD Corp) untuk mengemukakan laporan tindakan susulan terhadap syor jawatankuasa itu.
Kylian Mbappe tandatangan kontrak dengan Real Madrid
Bintang bola sepak Perancis Kylian Mbappe menandatangani kontrak selama lima tahun dengan kelab Sepanyol Real Madrid pada Selasa.
Pelepasan ketujuh air sisa nuklear Fukushima ke laut selesai
Jepun telah menyelesaikan pusingan ketujuh pelepasan air sisa radioaktif yang dirawat dari loji kuasa nuklear Fukushima Daiichi ke Lautan Pasifik pada Selasa.
Empat termasuk kapten maut dalam pertempuran
Empat anggota tentera India termasuk kapten meninggal dunia akibat kecederaan selepas pertempuuran pada malam isnin di Hutan Desa.
Pakistan sahkan 4 warganya terbunuh di Oman
Pakistan berkata pada Selasa empat warganya terbunuh dalam insiden tembakan pada malam Isnin berhampiran ibu negara Oman, Muscat.
Lima terbunuh, puluhan cedera dalam protes antikuota di Bangladesh
Sekurang-kurangnya empat orang terbunuh dan puluhan lagi cedera dalam pertempuran antara pelajar yang memprotes sistem kuota dalam pekerjaan sektor awam dan polis di pelbagai bahagian Bangladesh pada Selasa.
Kerajaan cadang perkenal pembiayaan swasta
Kerajaan menyasarkan untuk memperkenalkan pembiayaan swasta alternatif bagi memastikan kemampanan kewangan program sektor air, sekali gus mengurangkan kebergantungan pada perbelanjaan kerajaan dan mengukuhkan daya tahan.
Saya tak fitnah Guan Eng, cuma jelaskan siasatan SPRM - Muhyiddin
Presiden Bersatu Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin memberitahu Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur hari ini bahawa beliau tidak memfitnah Lim Guan Eng berhubung isu pengecualian cukai terhadap Yayasan Albukhary
KPT alu-alukan dapatan, cadangan PAC - Zambry
Ini termasuklah cadangan pelaksanaan Garis Panduan Pelaburan dan Pembiayaan oleh Universiti Awam 2024 kepada anak-anak syarikat di bawah seliaan Kementerian Pendidikan Tinggi (KPT).
![Anwar bertemu John Kerry, bincang isu alam sekitar Anwar bertemu John Kerry, bincang isu alam sekitar](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-09/81695368691_Iklim.jpg)
Anwar bertemu John Kerry, bincang isu alam sekitar
Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim berkesempatan bertemu dengan Duta Khas Presiden Amerika Syarikat (AS) Untuk Iklim, John Kerry pada Jumaat.
![Duta Khas Presiden AS John Kerry lawat China 16 Julai Duta Khas Presiden AS John Kerry lawat China 16 Julai](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-07/81689149290_JohnKerry.jpg)
Duta Khas Presiden AS John Kerry lawat China 16 Julai
Duta Khas Presiden AS untuk Iklim, John Kerry, akan mengadakan lawatan rasmi ke China dari 16 hingga 19 Julai.
![Malaysia dan Amerika Syarikat tandatangani dokumen pengecualian visa Malaysia dan Amerika Syarikat tandatangani dokumen pengecualian visa](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2015-09/71442758736_ZahidHamidi.jpg)
Malaysia dan Amerika Syarikat tandatangani dokumen pengecualian visa
Malaysia dan Amerika Syarikat (AS) hari ini menandatangani dokumen Keselamatan Tanah Air Arahan Presiden No 6 (HSPD 6).
![White House pertahan perjanjian nuklear Iran White House pertahan perjanjian nuklear Iran](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2015-09/51441249741_JohnKerry.jpg)
White House pertahan perjanjian nuklear Iran
Kritikan terhadap perjanjian nuklear Iran hanya akan memusnahkan reputasi Amerika Syarikat di mata dunia.
![Kerry terus gesa China henti aktiviti di Laut China Selatan Kerry terus gesa China henti aktiviti di Laut China Selatan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2015-08/41438761372_JOHNKERRY.jpg)
Kerry terus gesa China henti aktiviti di Laut China Selatan
Ketegangan pertikaian Laut China Selatan menjadi tumpuan utama perbincangan China dan Amerika Syarikat di Mesyuarat Menteri-menteri ASEAN.
![John Kerry patah kaki kemalangan basikal di Perancis John Kerry patah kaki kemalangan basikal di Perancis](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2013-01/71359257956_295x200.jpg)
John Kerry patah kaki kemalangan basikal di Perancis
Setiausaha Amerika Syarikat, John Kerry dimasukkan ke hospital selepas kemalangan semasa berbasikal merentasi sempadan di Perancis.
![Jamaluddin Jarjis tingkatkan hubungan AS-Malaysia - John Kerry Jamaluddin Jarjis tingkatkan hubungan AS-Malaysia - John Kerry](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2014-10/41413505096_295x200.jpg)
Jamaluddin Jarjis tingkatkan hubungan AS-Malaysia - John Kerry
Setiausaha Negara Amerika Syarikat (AS) John Kerry berkata dedikasi Allahyarham Tan Sri Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis dalam mempromosi perkongsian antara AS-Malaysia akan membuahkan hasil.
![Amerika simpati, tawar bantuan kepada mangsa banjir Amerika simpati, tawar bantuan kepada mangsa banjir](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2014-10/41413505096_295x200.jpg)
Amerika simpati, tawar bantuan kepada mangsa banjir
John Kerry menyampaikan ucapan simpati kepada rakyat Malaysia yang dilanda banjir dan menawarkan bantuan negara itu kepada mereka.
![Amerika Syarikat suarakan hasrat bekerjasama dengan Malaysia di PBB Amerika Syarikat suarakan hasrat bekerjasama dengan Malaysia di PBB](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2014-10/51413848162_295x200.jpg)
Amerika Syarikat suarakan hasrat bekerjasama dengan Malaysia di PBB
Ucapan tahniah berkenaan disampaikan Setiausaha Negara Amerika Syarikat John Kerry semasa membuat kunjungan hormat ke atas Najib di Indonesia.
![Najib bincang isu ancaman IS, Ebola dengan AS dan Australia Najib bincang isu ancaman IS, Ebola dengan AS dan Australia](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2014-10/71413731620_295x200.jpg)
Najib bincang isu ancaman IS, Ebola dengan AS dan Australia
Najib Razak akan membincangkan isu ancaman IS, Ebola dengan Setiausaha Negara AS dan Perdana Menteri Australia esok.