President Donald Trump welcomed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the White House on Thursday, with discussions centered on potentially lifting the U.S. ban on F-35 fighter jet sales to Turkey, alongside trade and military deals. The visit, Erdogan’s first to the White House since 2019, included a greeting at 11:00 a.m. ET, a meeting at 11:15 a.m., and a working lunch at 11:45 a.m. Trump signaled optimism about resolving the F-35 dispute, stating on social media, “We are working on many Trade and Military Deals with the President, including the large scale purchase of Boeing aircraft, a major F-16 Deal, and a continuation of the F-35 talks, which we expect to conclude positively.”
During Trump’s first term, Turkey, a NATO ally, was expelled from the F-35 program after purchasing Russia’s S-400 air defense system, raising U.S. concerns that sensitive F-35 data could reach Moscow. Turkish officials note a $1.4 billion payment already made for the jets, and Erdogan has criticized the ban as unbecoming of a strategic partnership, urging its reversal in a recent Fox News interview.
The Biden administration maintained distance from Erdogan, citing Turkey’s democratic backsliding and ties with Russia. Opposition groups and human rights organizations have accused Erdogan, in power since 2003, of curbing freedoms through baseless prosecutions of activists and journalists. Despite these tensions, Trump views Erdogan as a key partner in resolving conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, aligning with Turkey’s approach to Syria post-Assad.
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Erdogan has positioned Turkey as a stabilizing force, particularly in the Black Sea and Syria, where it supports rebel groups now in power. Turkey’s relations with Israel, however, remain strained over Gaza and Syria, exacerbated by Erdogan’s U.N. address on September 23, where he accused Israel of genocide—a claim rebutted by both Israel and the U.S. Trump, who met with Arab and Muslim leaders on Gaza during the U.N. General Assembly, urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to moderate tensions with Ankara.
The White House talks reflect Trump’s intent to strengthen U.S.-Turkey ties despite past complexities, including Turkey’s human rights record and its balancing act between Ukraine and Russia. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s recent meeting with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa underscores Turkey’s growing regional clout. With potential deals involving Boeing aircraft and F-16 jets, the discussions aim to reset military cooperation while navigating geopolitical fault lines, including U.S. tariffs fueling a global trade war.
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