Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan announced significant “meaningful progress” following his White House meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. Their discussions spanned a wide array of regional and bilateral concerns, including pivotal talks on defense collaboration and trade relations. This summit marked their first encounter in Washington in six years.
Following the discussions on Thursday, President Trump conveyed to reporters his optimism that NATO ally Turkey would accede to his request regarding Russian oil imports. He also indicated a potential lifting of existing U.S. sanctions against Ankara, which would pave the way for Turkey to acquire advanced American F-35 fighter jets.
Speaking to journalists during his return flight from Washington, President Erdogan confirmed that he and President Trump had explored strategies to significantly boost trade between their nations. Key among these was the potential revision of customs duties, aiming to achieve an ambitious trade volume target of $100 billion. This follows recent news of Turkish Airlines planning to acquire 225 new Boeing aircraft, signaling robust economic cooperation.
Erdogan acknowledged that while a single meeting couldn’t resolve all outstanding issues, he expressed satisfaction, stating, “It’s certainly impossible to resolve every issue in a single meeting. However, this meeting has led to meaningful progress on many issues.” His office later released a transcript of these remarks on Friday. He further added that he departed the meeting with President Trump feeling “happy,” underscoring the positive atmosphere of their dialogue.
Notably, the official transcript of Erdogan’s comments did not explicitly mention the U.S. sanctions or Turkey’s ongoing Russian oil imports, areas President Trump had addressed publicly.
Beyond bilateral matters, Erdogan conveyed his support for President Trump’s “vision for global peace.” He noted that the two leaders had achieved a mutual understanding on a framework for establishing a ceasefire and securing enduring peace in both Gaza and Palestine. As a vocal critic of Israel’s military actions in Gaza, the Turkish leader emphasized that he had thoroughly explained to Mr. Trump the critical necessity of a two-state solution for achieving comprehensive regional peace in the Middle East. Reflecting on these discussions, Erdogan stated, “We explained how a ceasefire can be achieved in Gaza and the whole of Palestine, and lasting peace afterwards. An understanding was reached there,” though he did not provide further details on the specifics of this understanding.