Erdogan Warns Before Meeting Biden US Risks 'Losing A Friend' - FARS

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday warned that the Washington risked "losing a precious friend" if it tries to corner his country, speaking two weeks before his first meeting with US counterpart Joe Biden.

Already tense, relations between the two NATO states have further deteriorated since Biden replaced Erdogan's ally Donald Trump in January, with the new president making a point of highlighting Turkey's human rights record.

When asked about Ankara-Washington relations, Erdogan said in an interview with Turkish state broadcaster TRT on Tuesday that "those who corner the Republic of Turkey will lose a precious friend".

Erdogan's combative stance comes ahead of the first meeting between the two leaders on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Brussels on June 14.