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| Biden Apologizes to Turkish President | Biden Apologizes to Turkish President |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| ISTANBUL — A diplomatic rift between Turkey and the United States was patched over late Saturday after the American vice president, Joseph R. Biden Jr., officially apologized to Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for remarks suggesting that Turkey helped facilitate the rise of the Islamic State terrorist group. | ISTANBUL — A diplomatic rift between Turkey and the United States was patched over late Saturday after the American vice president, Joseph R. Biden Jr., officially apologized to Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for remarks suggesting that Turkey helped facilitate the rise of the Islamic State terrorist group. |
| In remarks at Harvard University on Thursday, Mr. Biden said Mr. Erdogan had admitted erring in allowing foreign fighters to cross Turkey’s border into Syria, eventually leading to the formation of the group, also known as ISIS and ISIL. | In remarks at Harvard University on Thursday, Mr. Biden said Mr. Erdogan had admitted erring in allowing foreign fighters to cross Turkey’s border into Syria, eventually leading to the formation of the group, also known as ISIS and ISIL. |
| Mr. Biden’s spokeswoman, Kendra Barkoff, said in an emailed statement that the two leaders spoke by phone on Saturday. “The vice president apologized for any implication that Turkey or other allies and partners in the region had intentionally supplied or facilitated the growth of ISIL or other violent extremists in Syria,” Ms. Barkoff said. “The United States greatly values the commitments and sacrifices made by our allies and partners from around the world to combat the scourge of ISIL, including Turkey.” | Mr. Biden’s spokeswoman, Kendra Barkoff, said in an emailed statement that the two leaders spoke by phone on Saturday. “The vice president apologized for any implication that Turkey or other allies and partners in the region had intentionally supplied or facilitated the growth of ISIL or other violent extremists in Syria,” Ms. Barkoff said. “The United States greatly values the commitments and sacrifices made by our allies and partners from around the world to combat the scourge of ISIL, including Turkey.” |
| Earlier Saturday, Mr. Erdogan had demanded an apology, saying he had never made any such remark to Mr. Biden. “If Mr. Biden has said such a thing at Harvard, he needs to apologize to us,” Mr. Erdogan told reporters here. | |
| Mr. Erdogan, despite widespread evidence to the contrary, denied that Turkey’s long, porous border had enabled thousands of militants to cross onto the Syrian and Iraqi battlefields since the Syrian civil war began in 2011. “Foreign fighters never crossed into Syria from our country,” Mr. Erdogan said. “They would cross into Syria from Turkey on tourist passports, but nobody can claim that they have crossed with arms.” | Mr. Erdogan, despite widespread evidence to the contrary, denied that Turkey’s long, porous border had enabled thousands of militants to cross onto the Syrian and Iraqi battlefields since the Syrian civil war began in 2011. “Foreign fighters never crossed into Syria from our country,” Mr. Erdogan said. “They would cross into Syria from Turkey on tourist passports, but nobody can claim that they have crossed with arms.” |
| Speaking at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Mr. Biden said allies including Turkey, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates had extended unconditional financial and logistical support to Sunni fighters trying to oust the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad. | Speaking at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Mr. Biden said allies including Turkey, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates had extended unconditional financial and logistical support to Sunni fighters trying to oust the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad. |
| “President Erdogan told me,” he said, according to the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet, “ ‘You were right. We let too many people through. Now we are trying to seal the border.’ | “President Erdogan told me,” he said, according to the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet, “ ‘You were right. We let too many people through. Now we are trying to seal the border.’ |
| “Our allies poured hundreds of millions of dollars and tens of thousands of tons of weapons into anyone who would fight against al-Assad,” he said, including jihadists planning to join the Nusra Front and Al Qaeda. | “Our allies poured hundreds of millions of dollars and tens of thousands of tons of weapons into anyone who would fight against al-Assad,” he said, including jihadists planning to join the Nusra Front and Al Qaeda. |
| Mr. Biden also praised the Turkish parliamentary vote on Thursday that authorized cross-border operations into Syria and Iraq to tackle militants from the Islamic State and would allow foreign forces to use Turkish territory for incursions. | Mr. Biden also praised the Turkish parliamentary vote on Thursday that authorized cross-border operations into Syria and Iraq to tackle militants from the Islamic State and would allow foreign forces to use Turkish territory for incursions. |
| “It took a while for Turkey, a Sunni nation, to figure out that ISIL was a direct and immediate threat to their well-being,” Mr. Biden was quoted as saying. | “It took a while for Turkey, a Sunni nation, to figure out that ISIL was a direct and immediate threat to their well-being,” Mr. Biden was quoted as saying. |
| Facing mounting international criticism about lax border controls, Ankara has stepped up the sharing of intelligence with allies in recent months to update a no-entry list with 6,000 names, government officials say. | Facing mounting international criticism about lax border controls, Ankara has stepped up the sharing of intelligence with allies in recent months to update a no-entry list with 6,000 names, government officials say. |
| In September, Turkey agreed to join an American-led coalition against the Islamic State, but declined to sign a communiqué calling for military action because the group was holding 46 Turkish citizens as hostages. | In September, Turkey agreed to join an American-led coalition against the Islamic State, but declined to sign a communiqué calling for military action because the group was holding 46 Turkish citizens as hostages. |
| After the hostages were released in a covert intelligence operation, Turkey gained more flexibility in addressing the threat. | After the hostages were released in a covert intelligence operation, Turkey gained more flexibility in addressing the threat. |
| Instead of making a firm military commitment, however, Mr. Erdogan on Saturday underlined the importance of setting up a buffer and no-fly zone inside Syria to prevent an influx of refugees, and called for training and equipment for moderate Syrian opposition forces. | Instead of making a firm military commitment, however, Mr. Erdogan on Saturday underlined the importance of setting up a buffer and no-fly zone inside Syria to prevent an influx of refugees, and called for training and equipment for moderate Syrian opposition forces. |