United States | Call to Turkey

[Odinson]

Secret​

President Sinclair was sitting in the Oval Office on a Friday night. It was 9:30 in the evening. This week had been exceptionally busy. He had a number of things to deal with internationally, as well as countless domestic matters that needed the attention of the White House. Sinclair was well-known amongst White House staffers for keeping detailed lists of what he needed to do. He currently had a list of twenty-seven things, and the twenty-seventh was calling the Turkish Prime Minister.

Sinclair pressed his finger on the intercom button that went to his personal secretary, "Angela, what time is it in Turkey?"

A few moments went by, "Mister President, it's 4:33 in the morning in Turkey," he said.

"Angela, get me the Prime Minister of Turkey on the phone," he said.

"Right away, Mister President."

Angela was an exceptionally reliable personal secretary for the President. She was 27 years old, had never went to college and had a C-average in high school, but she was exceptionally resourceful and from the President's hometown in Maine.

Angela securely contacted that State Department's on-call diplomatic correspondence representative and informed him that the President wanted to speak to the Prime Minister of Turkey. The call securely went through diplomatic channels and it would be confirmed to the Turkish government that President Sinclair was calling for the Turkish Prime Minister.

Sinclair knew that the call would take a while to sort out, so he sat back behind the Resolute Desk. No one else was in the room, so he took off his jacket and folded it on the desk, then sat back into his chair, rested his feet on the corner of the desk, and lit his pipe as he waited for the Turkish Prime Minister to answer the phone. Considering the time in Turkey, he was prepared to wait for her to answer.

Jay

 

[Jay]

Private
​

Ayşe was fast asleep in the residence. The clock on the bedside table read 4:33 AM. The soft glow of a bedside lamp dimly lit the room as she and her husband were still asleep. The phone next to Ayşe began to ring causing a small stir as Ayşe's puffy eyes slowly gave up and began to open. She picked up the ringing phone as she slumped up against the headbboard.

Elif was on the other end of the phone. "Madame Prime Minister, I’m sorry to disturb you, but it's urgent. The Çankaya called. President Sinclair is calling." She said as Ayşe rubbed her eyes. Her eyes started blinking groggily as her husband turned to her. "What is is honey?"

“It seems there’s some situation dear,” she replied, her voice heavy with sleep. She rubbed his temples before rising from the bed and slipping into a robe. "It'll be back later, get some rest." She said giving him a soft kiss before she turned to her dressing room. Her aide, Elif, stood silently in the hallway as Ayşe quickly dressed. Ayşe rubbed her eyes and nodded to Elif as she walked out.

“Let’s get going, Elif.”

“Ma'am,” Elif responded as she guided Ayşe through the dimly lit corridors of the Residence and into her private office, where she could take the call. In her office, a group of officials from the night watch was already present, having set up a secure line and ensured the line was open.

Ayşe yawned as she sat down and put on her glasses. She thanked the night watch staff and waited till they left the room to leave her alone with the President. Out of habit, she checked that the secured encryption was working before she picked up the phone and responded.

"President Sinclair, it is an honor sir to be speaking with you." She said trying to not let the tiredness in her voice be aparent. "I hope all is well with you in Washington."

Odinson

 

[Odinson]

Secret​

Sinclair puffed on his pipe a few times and then heard his secretary say, "Connecting you now, Mister President."

Sinclair heard a click and then Ayşe's voice.

"Prime Minister, I'm sorry for the inconvenient hour that I'm calling you, I hope that you were already awake... but I'm guessing that you were not," he said.

"I've been in communications with Ambassador Hawkins. To be honest, he and my Secretary of State disagree on what path we should be taking with your government, but Ambassador Hawkins has convinced me that democracy in Turkey is possible, and that your country could make a meaningful and permanent member of the Free World again... Prime Minister I keep a list of things I need to do and people that I need to contact, and to be absolutely honest with you, you were the last on my list today and something inside of me.... something told me that I should call you right now instead of waiting until Monday," he said, and then took another puff of his pipe.

"Prime Minister, I want you to know that the United States government is committed to working with your government, as it currently stands. I know that you are going through some hardships right now, and I understand that isn't easy, but we are here for you. If all else fails, the United States is going to commit $15-billion, in some kind of loan, to your government for your economic recovery... I hope that we can get more from the Polish and the Swedes, but that is what I can see the United States offering," said Sinclair.

"One other thing," he said, "I can only imagine that your government is trying to save every cent that you can... The United States Coast Guard is creating a special international task force that is dedicated to working in unique situations world-wide for training purposes. Soon, new Coast Guard cutters will be completed. If you feel that it is necessary, Turkey could be the first country to see the presence of these cutters. They could patrol Turkish waters on behalf of Turkey, among other missions, and perform some joint exercises with your military as you see fit.... I understand that the last times that our armed forces interacted were in a war, so I am hoping that this could set us on the right track," he said.

"Finally, I want you to know that I plan on mentioning Turkey in my State of The Union address to Congress.... I'm going to mention you and your government favorably. I want to make things easy on you back home, Prime Minister, so if there is anything that the United States can do to help your situation politically, let me know right now," he said, matter-of-factly.

Jay

 

[Jay]

Private
​

Ayşe listened to Benjamin speaking and couldn't help but smile after hearing what he said. "President Sinclair, no, it is not an inconvenience at all." She said with a light laugh. "I expect a lot of long and sleepless nights ahead."

She sat back in the chair as she felt a wave of relief pass. She was worried it would be a different kind of call. "I appreciate you taking the time out of your evening to speak with me, President Sinclair. And the willingness to be blunt about the situation."

Ayşe ran her fingers through her hair as she continued. "I am a bit ashamed to say that I have been a fan of you, but I only mention this to share that I truly was inspired by your message in 2004. A renaissance for America was powerful, and it inspired me when I was just a lower-level party official. I not only believe democracy is possible but that my country too, needs a renaissance in spirit, soul, and substance."

"I appreciate your willingness to help not just my country but also my government. The economic situation has not improved, and unfortunately, it feels as though we are trying to fight a blackhole armed with just a knife." Ayşe said with all honesty as she rubbed her eyes softly. "So I truly welcome your willingness to share a portion of America's renaissance with us, and I hope it will be the seeds that allow for the growth of our own renaissance."

Ayşe gave a faint smile as she heard what Benjamin planned to do at the State of the Union. "President Sinclair, thank you for the kindness you are showing me. I am rather ashamed as I feel I do not deserve this privilege and your willingness to help us as we go through a rather difficult phase, both financially but also politically and socially. I hope I will continue to live up to that privilege."

"Turkish soldiers stood with their American brothers on the Ch'ongch'on River, at Wawon where they valiantly defended and saved the US Eighth Army during the Chinese counter-attack, and several other engagements. I hope that we will help our two nations move towards a new future where we shed blood not as enemies but as allies."

"In that spirit, I also welcome the opportunity for the Turkish Navy to cooperate with the U.S. Coast Guard and Navy in the future, and while we are capable of patrolling our waters, I do believe that public signs of our forces working together would be a positive step."

Odinson

 

[Odinson]

Secret​

"Well, Prime Minister, I hope that once we have a trade deal in place, things will start to look better for the Turkish economy. I wish there was more that we could do, but at least we are doing something," he said, before listening to the rest of Ayşe's response.

"America is only part of the Free World, and Turkey is a part of it now too. My first a foremost interest is the success of the American People, but I think that a democratic and successful Turkey benefits the Free World, and therefore the American People as well... I'm sure that the Coast Guard will be in contact with the Turkish Navy in the next month or so. I'll have the State Department send a formal letter, but feel free to let your ambassador know that he will be my special guest for my State of The Union address to Congress," Sinclair said.

"It was nice to talk to you Prime Minister. If you need anything in the future, call me directly... and congratulations on your election. You have my full support," he said. If there was nothing else to discuss, Sinclair would end the phone call.

Jay

 

[Jay]

Private
​

"That is more than a lot, President Sinclair," Ayşe said. "Truly. You have no idea how much this helps, and I hope we can have a trade agreement signed soon."

Ayşe listened as Sinclair finished speaking. "Thank you for the kind offer and congratulations. It means a lot coming from you. I will be sure to reach out to you in the future, and I am sure the Ambassador will be pleased to be a special guest at your address to Congress."

With nothing else to say, Ayşe heard the click at the end signaling the call was terminated. She stood up and stretched a little as she walked slowly back to her bedroom. Sinclair might not have thought much of it, but that call was a lot for Ayşe. It had not been a good few weeks, especially with the budget vote coming up soon, which would be her first confidence test. Sinclair had given her a boost, and she was thankful for that more than anything.

She softly opened the door to her room before dropping her robe and slipping into bed with her husband as she tried to sleep for the next two hours. She expected it'd be another busy day but she intended to savor this call as long as she could.

Odinson