Obama refuses to give appointment to Erdoğan

US President Barrack Obama has refused to give President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan an appointment in the next few months, citing his tight schedule, Cumhuriyet newspaper reported.

After returning from an official visit to Indonesia, Erdoğan told reporters that he might have talks with Obama in September as part of a visit to New York to attend the UN General Assembly and that if he did not have the opportunity to attend the meeting, he may pay a visit to Washington in August.

Erdoğan's request for a meeting was sent to the White House by the Turkish Foreign Ministry but US officials said Obama had a tight schedule preventing him from meeting with Erdoğan.

After Obama's refusal to arrange an appointment with Erdoğan, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu is expected to attend the UN General Assembly in September instead of Erdoğan.

The last meeting between Erdoğan and Obama was in May 2013, during which the leaders stated that both countries had agreed that the Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad must leave power.