Four takeaways from Donald Trump’s meeting with Turkiye’s President Erdogan

United States President Donald Trump has hosted his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, astatine the White House for the archetypal clip since 2019.

In a little Oval Office quality league connected Thursday, the 2 leaders gave reporters a preview of the issues they would sermon down closed doors, including the merchantability of subject equipment, commercialized and planetary conflicts.

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“ He’s a highly respected man. He’s respected precise overmuch successful his state and each passim Europe and passim the satellite wherever they cognize him,” Trump said, gesturing to Erdogan. “It’s an honour to person him.”

While Trump has maintained affable relations with Erdogan during his 2nd term, the ties betwixt their 2 countries person faced strain successful caller years, peculiarly arsenic a effect of Turkiye’s continued commercialized with Russia.

Still, some leaders sought to formed their narration successful a affirmative airy astatine Thursday’s meeting, which was followed by a associated lunch.

“We’ve had a precise bully narration for a agelong time,” Trump said, adding, “ This is simply a pugnacious man. This is simply a feline who’s highly opinionated. Usually, I don’t similar opinionated people, but I ever similar this one.”

Erdogan, for his part, said that helium was “very pleased” to beryllium returning to the White House and hoped to transportation Turkiye-US relations to “a overmuch antithetic level”.

Here are immoderate of the cardinal issues the brace addressed successful their wide-ranging quality conference:

‘Close to a deal’ connected Gaza

Thursday’s Oval Office gathering comes days aft some Erdogan and Trump spoke astatine the United Nations General Assembly, wherever respective satellite leaders pushed for designation of Palestinian statehood.

Trump himself met Arab and Muslim leaders connected the sidelines of the assembly.

Though fewer details person emerged astir the sideline meeting, Trump officials reportedly presented their connection to bring Israel’s warfare connected Gaza to an end.

That warfare has killed astatine slightest 65,502 Palestinians and wounded 167,376 much since its commencement successful October 2023. An autarkic UN committee earlier this period accused Israel of committing the transgression of genocide successful the territory.

On Thursday, erstwhile asked astir this week’s negotiations, Trump reiterated that helium had had “a precise large gathering with the representatives of the astir almighty countries successful the Middle East”. He added that the US was “close to a deal” to extremity the war.

“I deliberation we tin get that 1 done,” Trump said. “I anticipation we tin get it done. A batch of radical are dying, but we privation the hostages back.”

Trump stressed that the instrumentality of the Israeli captives held successful Gaza — some the surviving and the bodies of the deceased — was a indispensable information to achieving a ceasefire.

The adjacent step, helium explained, was to talk with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and accent that each parties progressive privation the warfare to end.

“I judge successful the bid efforts Mr Trump is leading,” Erdogan added.

The Turkish person had been among the participants successful the meeting, on with representatives from Qatar, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Trump tells Putin ‘time to stop’ successful Ukraine

Trump has besides repeatedly pledged to extremity Russia’s penetration of Ukraine, which began successful February 2022 and has resulted successful a slow-grinding war.

But successful abbreviated remarks connected Thursday addressing the war, Trump concisely needled Erdogan for his country’s continued commercialized with Russia.

“I’d similar to person him halt buying immoderate lipid from Russia portion Russia continues this rampage against Ukraine,” Trump said.

Earlier this week, Trump made headlines erstwhile helium posted connected societal media that helium believes Ukraine tin triumph backmost each of the territory Russia has captured since the penetration began.

It was a abrupt about-face for the US president, whose medication has agelong maintained that Ukraine would person to cede occupied territory successful bid to execute peace.

At Thursday’s quality conference, Trump besides chastised Russian President Vladimir Putin for continuing the warfare successful Ukraine, calling it “such a discarded of quality life.”

“ Russia’s spent millions and millions of dollars successful bombs, missiles, ammunition and lives — their lives. And they’ve gained virtually nary land,” Trump said. “I deliberation it’s clip to stop, I truly do.”

Trade deals and sanctions

One of the astir anticipated elements of Thursday’s gathering was the imaginable that the US could resume trading subject craft with Turkiye.

In 2019, during Trump’s archetypal word arsenic president, the US removed Turkiye from a programme that saw Washington merchantability blase F-35 combatant jets to allies.

The US expressed fears astatine the clip that Turkiye’s usage of Russian exertion could effect successful the postulation of US subject data.

But connected Thursday, Trump hinted helium whitethorn assistance sanctions against the merchantability of specified craft to Turkiye if his gathering with Erdogan went well.

“I cognize helium wants the F-35, and he’s wanted that,” Trump said of Erdogan. “And we’re talking astir that precise seriously.”

The brace besides planned to sermon the transportation of F-16 combatant jets. The US had approved the sale of the F-16s to Turkiye successful January 2024 aft the Turkish parliament ratified Sweden’s NATO membership.

When asked whether helium was consenting to marque a woody to merchantability F-35s arsenic well, Trump said of Erdogan, “I deliberation he’ll beryllium palmy successful buying the things that helium wants to buy.”

Trump besides said helium could assistance sanctions against Turkiye’s defence industries “very soon”, adding: “If we person a bully meeting, astir immediately.”

‘Major announcement’ coming connected Syria

At Thursday’s quality conference, Trump took clip to praise Erdogan, arsenic well, for his government’s efforts successful war-torn Syria.

He besides teased that helium would marque a “major announcement” aboriginal successful the time astir Syria, but did not elaborate.

Syria had faced a astir 14-year-long civilian warfare until past December, erstwhile a rebel violative toppled the authorities of erstwhile President Bashar al-Assad.

Since the autumn of al-Assad’s government, the Trump medication has begun to lift sanctions against Syria that were designed to code quality rights abuses nether the erstwhile president.

At Thursday’s meeting, Trump credited Erdogan with paving the mode for the sanctions alleviation successful Syria. He besides praised Erdogan for his relation successful al-Assad’s removal.

“ I deliberation President Erdogan is the 1 liable for Syria, for the palmy combat successful ridding Syria of its past leader,” Trump said. “ I deliberation this antheral is responsible. He doesn’t instrumentality the responsibility, but it’s really a large achievement.”

Trump added, “I took sanctions disconnected successful bid to fto them breathe, due to the fact that those sanctions were precise strong.”

Al Jazeera analogous Kimberly Halkett described Thursday’s gathering arsenic “really astir optics for the Turkish leader”, noting that Erdogan had been frozen retired of Washington for the past 4 years and is present taking thing of a triumph lap.