Erdoğan, Trump discuss defense ties at NATO summit

THE HAGUE

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of a NATO summit on June 24, marking their first in-person meeting since the latter returned to the White House for a second term.

The two leaders held talks in The Hague that focused on defense industry cooperation, NATO priorities and regional conflicts.

According to a readout from the Turkish presidency, Erdoğan said strengthening defense ties between Türkiye and the United States would be a "positive step" and proposed joint investments in both the defense and energy sectors to help meet the $100 billion trade target.

Türkiye’s acquisition of Russian-made S-400 air defense systems led to its removal from the F-35 fighter jet program and U.S. sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). Ankara had been a contributing partner in the development of the jets.

Erdoğan has repeatedly called for the sanctions to be lifted, asserting that their removal could pave the way for renewed defense cooperation. The U.S. maintains that Ankara must dispose of the Russian systems before any reversal of the sanctions can be considered.

Türkiye reached an agreement with the Joe Biden administration to purchase 40 F-16 jets to upgrade its air force fleet. Ahead of the June 24 meeting, U.S. media cited Turkish officials saying Erdoğan aimed to persuade Trump to lift the embargo on the F-35s.

The leaders were also set to discuss Erdoğan’s potential visit to Washington, although no specifics were disclosed.

Meanwhile, they also held talks on a range of global issues, including the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Erdoğan expressed support for the June 23 truce, saying he "welcomes the ceasefire achieved through Trump’s efforts" and "hopes it will be permanent."

He also underscored the importance of direct dialogue between Ankara and Washington to help end the war in Gaza and seek a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine.

The two leaders also discussed NATO’s evolving defense posture, including Trump’s push for allies to increase defense spending to 5 percent of GDP and reduce reliance on U.S. security infrastructure.

Trump hosted Erdoğan twice during his first term in office from 2017 to 2021. The pair have spoken twice by phone since hostilities between Israel and Iran began earlier this month.