Erdogan, Trump Report ‘Meaningful Progress’ in White House Talks

ANKARA, Sept 26 (VoM): Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his first White House meeting in six years with US President Donald Trump produced “meaningful progress” on bilateral and regional issues, including defense cooperation, trade, and the Gaza conflict.

Speaking to reporters on his return from Washington, Erdogan described the discussions as productive, though he made no direct mention of key sticking points such as Türkiye’s purchases of Russian oil or its requests for US fighter jets.

“It’s certainly impossible to resolve every issue in a single meeting. However, this meeting has led to meaningful progress on many issues,” Erdogan said, according to a transcript released by his office.

Erdogan noted that both sides explored ways to boost bilateral trade, including revisions to customs duties, in pursuit of a $100-billion trade target. Following the talks, Turkish Airlines announced a landmark agreement to purchase 75 Boeing 787 aircraft and concluded negotiations for 150 Boeing 737 MAX planes, pending engine talks.

While Trump publicly urged Ankara to halt Russian oil imports, Erdogan’s office avoided addressing the matter directly. Nonetheless, Türkiye’s energy minister confirmed the signing of a strategic civil nuclear cooperation memorandum of understanding with Washington.

On defense, the talks focused on Türkiye’s long standing request for F-16 fighter jets and its push to lift US sanctions that blocked its participation in the F-35 program following its 2019 purchase of Russian S-400 missile systems. Trump suggested he was open to reviewing the sanctions, first imposed during his earlier term.

Erdogan said he and Trump also held extensive discussions on the war in Gaza, claiming both leaders reached “an understanding” on the need for a ceasefire and a two-state solution for lasting peace.

“Peace in the Middle East cannot be achieved without a two-state solution,” Erdogan told reporters, reiterating Türkiye’s criticism of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which Ankara has described as “genocide.”

The Kremlin responded to the meeting by noting that cooperation between Russia and Türkiye remains ongoing, despite US efforts to curb Ankara’s energy and defense ties with Moscow.