Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is working to secure a meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House, possibly in late April, according to Turkish officials familiar with the situation, Bloomberg reports, UNN writes.
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Erdoğan believes that strengthening the strategic partnership between Ankara and Washington is critical for regional stability, as Turkey seeks to mediate issues from Ukraine to Syria, the people said. According to them, the country's role as a NATO hub is particularly important while the US is reviewing its commitments to Europe.
Erdoğan's office declined to comment.
Relations between the US and Turkey have been strained by Ankara's purchase of a Russian anti-missile defense system and Washington's support for the Syrian Kurdish militia, which Turkey views as a threat to the country, among other disputes.
During a phone call with Trump on Sunday, Erdoğan called on the US president to lift the sanctions imposed during his first term on Turkey's defense industry as a result of the Russian purchase. He also asked to end Turkey's exclusion from the development of F-35 combat aircraft and complete the sale of new F-16 fighters.
"Turkey and the US, as two allies, will develop their cooperation in a new era with solidarity," Erdoğan's communications office said in a statement. - Regional and global events require increased consultations between Turkey and the United States on all issues".
Erdoğan's appeal to the US comes as he seeks closer defense and economic cooperation with the European Union in exchange for security, as the continent looks for ways to reduce its dependence on Washington. This may include joining Turkish troops to a future peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, according to people familiar with the matter, as international negotiations continue on a potential peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv.
According to sources, Turkey's long-standing requests to purchase new F-16 fighters to modernize NATO's second-largest air fleet and jointly produce engines for military aircraft are high on Erdoğan's agenda.
Turkey has been trying to buy 40 new F-16s from Lockheed Martin Corp. since 2021 to modernize its existing fleet of fighters. The country hopes to develop its own jet aircraft over time.
The F-16s will help Turkey break the deadlock after the US blocked it from buying Lockheed's most advanced fighter, the F-35, in response to Turkey's decision to buy S-400 missiles.
If Trump lifts defense sanctions against Turkey, he must ask Congress to repeal the law that effectively cuts off Turkey's leading defense procurement agency from US financial institutions, military equipment and technology. This will allow Turkey to purchase fifth-generation F-35 aircraft, ensure that its military can operate in sync with other members of the NATO alliance, and strengthen deterrence on its southeastern flank, the publication points out.
Another bone of contention was the US arming and training of Kurdish forces in Syria. Turkey considered them a threat because of their affiliation with the separatist Kurdish group PKK, which is waging a war for autonomy in southeastern Turkey, the publication writes.
According to the people, Turkey is cautiously optimistic that a recent agreement to integrate US-backed Kurdish forces into state institutions may ease its security concerns if the PKK agrees to lay down its arms after a ceasefire is announced.
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