As Turkey's graft probe continues (which the Prime Minister believes is a conspiracy - fact or not - created by The West), AP reports that Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he no longer holds "direct" telephone conversations with U.S. President Barack Obama, suggesting a rift between the leaders who were once close. What is perhaps even more concerning is Turkey's recent de-dollarization discussions with Russia to move to settlement in local currencies. It appears 'allies' are falling by the way-side quicker than many thought...

Turkey shuns Obama... (via AP)

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he no longer holds "direct" telephone conversations with U.S. President Barack Obama, suggesting a rift between the leaders who were once close. In an interview with Turkey's ATV television late Monday, Erdogan said that "in the past, I used to call him directly. Because I was not able to get direct results on Syria, now our foreign ministers talk to each other." Erdogan did not elaborate. But the Turkish leader is known to have been frustrated by U.S. reluctance for a military involvement in Syria to end the violence there. Erdogan told ATV he speaks with Vice President Joe Biden to discuss Iraq. In the past, Obama cast Turkey as a model democracy and the two would frequently talk by telephone.

Turkey prepares to De-Dollarize with local currency settlement with Russia... (via Google Translate)

In Sydney, the Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Alexei Ulyukayev "on the margins" of the meeting of trade ministers of the "Group of Twenty" met with the Minister of Economy of the Republic of Turkey Nihat Zeybekchi. In 2013, the volume of trade between the countries amounted to 32.7 billion dollars. Russia is the second (after the EU) among foreign trade partners of Turkey, and Turkey - the eighth largest trade partner of Russia. As one of the measures to stimulate the development of trade and economic relations between Russia and Turkey, the Turkish side proposes to proceed in mutual national currencies. The question now being discussed at the site of the bilateral Working Group on banking and financial cooperation. Minister of Economy of the Republic of Turkey Nihat Zeybekchi noted that the Turkish side is interested in building on the territory of Russian transport and logistics center for the provision of warehousing, customs clearance, loading and unloading, packing of goods, etc., which is connected with the sea ports, airports and railways and highways. Discussion of all issues Ministers agreed to continue an ad hoc working group in late September in Istanbul.

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