{"id":31789,"date":"2025-09-26T11:47:12","date_gmt":"2025-09-26T08:47:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/?p=31789"},"modified":"2025-09-26T11:50:36","modified_gmt":"2025-09-26T08:50:36","slug":"turkish-president-erdogan-meets-us-president-trump-for-talks-on-gaza-conflict-russian-oil-and-f-35-sale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/turkish-president-erdogan-meets-us-president-trump-for-talks-on-gaza-conflict-russian-oil-and-f-35-sale\/","title":{"rendered":"Turkish President Erdogan meets US President Trump for talks on Gaza conflict, Russian oil, and F-35 sale"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>6 minute read<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>U.S. President Donald Trump hosted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House for high-stakes talks on the Middle East conflict, Turkiye&#8217;s purchase of Russian oil, and the potential resumption of F-35 fighter jets sales. Both leaders also discussed Gaza conflict, sanctions, trade, and Ukraine war.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Turkish President Erdogan\u2019s September 25 visit marked his first official trip to Washington since 2019, signaling a possible thaw in strained U.S.-Turkey relations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The visit came at a moment of heightened geopolitical tension, with Washington seeking to rally support against Russia while also trying to push for a resolution to the conflict in Gaza. The atmosphere was notably warmer than in 2019, when Erdogan\u2019s visit was overshadowed by disputes over Syria. This time, both Trump and Erdogan emphasized friendship and cooperation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s a highly respected man. He\u2019s respected very much in his country and throughout Europe and throughout the world, where they know him,\u201d Trump said in the Oval Office, adding that \u201cIt\u2019s an honour to have him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"tr\" dir=\"ltr\">President Donald J. Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo\u011fan <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/trpresidency?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@trpresidency<\/a>. \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83e\udd1d\ud83c\uddf9\ud83c\uddf7 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/TJkVDoW5tM\">pic.twitter.com\/TJkVDoW5tM<\/a><\/p>\u2014 The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WhiteHouse\/status\/1971255867480957399?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 25, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Erdogan responded by saying he was \u201cvery pleased\u201d to be back and hoped U.S.-Turkish relations could reach \u201ca much different level.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><br><strong>Push for Gaza Ceasefire<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The White House talks followed a week of diplomacy at the United Nations General Assembly, where both Trump and Erdogan joined discussions with Arab and Muslim leaders on Gaza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since October 2023, Israel\u2019s war in Gaza has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians and wounded over 167,000, according to UN figures. Earlier this month, an independent UN commission accused Israel of committing genocide in the territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trump told reporters the U.S. was \u201cclose to a deal\u201d that could end the war. \u201cI think we can get that one done,\u201d he said. \u201cI hope we can get it done. A lot of people are dying, but we want the hostages back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He stressed that the return of Israeli captives, both the living and the deceased, remained a condition for any ceasefire. \u201cThe next step is to talk to Prime Minister Netanyahu and tell him everybody wants this war to end,\u201d Trump added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Erdogan voiced support for Trump\u2019s efforts, saying, \u201cI believe in the peace efforts Mr Trump is leading.\u201d The Turkish president has been one of the most vocal critics of Israel\u2019s military campaign, accusing it of genocide against Palestinians. Turkiye formally recognizes Palestinian statehood, setting it apart from many of its NATO allies.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/US-Trump-Turkey-Erdogan.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1016\" height=\"635\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/US-Trump-Turkey-Erdogan-1024x640.jpg?resize=1016%2C635&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House\" class=\"wp-image-31798\" style=\"width:840px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/US-Trump-Turkey-Erdogan.jpg?resize=1024%2C640&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/US-Trump-Turkey-Erdogan.jpg?resize=300%2C188&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/US-Trump-Turkey-Erdogan.jpg?resize=768%2C480&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/US-Trump-Turkey-Erdogan.jpg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1016px) 100vw, 1016px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sup>U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House, on September 25, 2025. (Image Credit: Presidency of the Republic of Turkiye)<br><\/sup><\/em><br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><br><strong>US Sanctions and Fighter Jet Sales<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another major issue was defense cooperation, particularly the status of U.S. sanctions on Turkiye. In 2019, Washington removed Turkiye from the F-35 program after Ankara purchased Russian S-400 air defense systems. That decision also brought sanctions on Turkiye\u2019s defense industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But Trump suggested the restrictions could soon be lifted. \u201cI know he wants the F-35, and he\u2019s wanted that, and we\u2019re talking about that very seriously,\u201d Trump said. \u201cI think he\u2019ll be successful in buying the things that he wants to buy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He also said sanctions on Turkiye could be lifted \u201cvery soon\u201d and \u201calmost immediately\u201d if the meeting with Erdogan proved productive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Turkiye is also pursuing a multi-billion-dollar deal for 40 F-16 fighter jets. The U.S. approved the sale in January 2024, after the Turkish parliament ratified Sweden\u2019s NATO membership. In addition, Turkish Airlines is finalizing an agreement to purchase more than 200 aircraft from Boeing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Erdogan, defense cooperation with Washington is a key priority. His government has long sought to reverse the F-35 suspension, which Ankara argues unfairly punished a NATO ally.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/US-F-35-fighter-jet.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"690\" height=\"370\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/US-F-35-fighter-jet.jpg?resize=690%2C370&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"U.S. F-35 Stealth Fighter Jet\" class=\"wp-image-11518\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/US-F-35-fighter-jet.jpg?w=690&amp;ssl=1 690w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/US-F-35-fighter-jet.jpg?resize=300%2C161&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 690px) 100vw, 690px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sup>U.S. F-35 Stealth Fighter Jet. (Image Credit: Lockheed Martin)<\/sup><\/em><br><br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Trump Presses Erdogan on Russian Oil<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the friendly tone, Trump pushed Erdogan to stop buying Russian oil. Turkiye is among the largest purchasers in Europe, along with Hungary and Slovakia. \u201cI\u2019d like to have him stop buying any oil from Russia while Russia continues this rampage against Ukraine,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trump also addressed Moscow directly, saying it was time for Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the invasion of Ukraine. \u201cRussia\u2019s spent millions and millions of dollars in bombs, missiles, ammunition, and lives, their lives. And they\u2019ve gained virtually no land,\u201d he said. \u201cI think it\u2019s time to stop, I really do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By pressing Erdogan on Russian oil, Trump is signaling that Ankara\u2019s balancing act between Moscow and Washington will face sharper scrutiny. Turkiye has maintained energy trade with Russia despite Western sanctions, justifying it as vital for its economy. For Washington, cutting off this revenue stream is central to limiting Russia\u2019s ability to fund its war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Syria and Regional Realignment<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Syria also featured prominently in Thursday\u2019s talks. Trump teased what he called a \u201cmajor announcement\u201d on the conflict, though he offered no specifics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He credited Erdogan with playing a key role in shaping Syria\u2019s future following the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad last December. \u201cI think President Erdogan is the one responsible for Syria, for the successful fight in ridding Syria of its past leader,\u201d Trump said. \u201cI think this man is responsible. He doesn\u2019t take the responsibility, but it\u2019s actually a great achievement.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Turkiye-Erdogan-Syria-Sharaa.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1016\" height=\"678\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Turkiye-Erdogan-Syria-Sharaa.jpg?resize=1016%2C678&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meeting with Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa\" class=\"wp-image-31799\" style=\"width:840px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Turkiye-Erdogan-Syria-Sharaa.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Turkiye-Erdogan-Syria-Sharaa.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Turkiye-Erdogan-Syria-Sharaa.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Turkiye-Erdogan-Syria-Sharaa.jpg?resize=589%2C392&amp;ssl=1 589w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Turkiye-Erdogan-Syria-Sharaa.jpg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1016px) 100vw, 1016px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sup>Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meeting with Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa at the Turkish House, on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, U.S., on September 24, 2025. (Image Credit: Presidency of the Republic of Turkiye)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Trump added that the U.S. had already lifted some sanctions on Syria, arguing the country needed space to \u201cbreathe\u201d after years of war and sanctions pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The comments underscore how U.S. and Turkish positions on Syria have converged after years of discord. In 2019, Ankara\u2019s offensive against U.S.-backed Kurdish forces in northern Syria caused a crisis in relations. Today, both Trump and Erdogan back Syria\u2019s central government, signaling a dramatic policy shift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>US-Turkiye Ties Improving<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The White House meeting reflects a reset in U.S.-Turkish ties after years of cool relations under former President Joe Biden. The Biden administration often kept Ankara at arm\u2019s length over its ties with Russia and concerns about democratic backsliding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trump, however, has highlighted his personal rapport with Erdogan. \u201cThis is a tough man,\u201d he told reporters. \u201cThis is a guy who\u2019s highly opinionated. Usually, I don\u2019t like opinionated people, but I always like this one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Erdogan, who has cultivated a strongman image at home, appears eager to leverage that relationship. \u201cWe\u2019ve had a very good relationship for a long time,\u201d Trump added. \u201cIt\u2019s an honour to have him here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Erdogan, the visit was an opportunity to end years of isolation in Washington and reopen the door to high-level U.S. deals. For Trump, it was a chance to display international leadership, promising progress on two of the world\u2019s most urgent crises: Gaza and Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">President Erdo\u011fan meets with U.S. think tank representatives <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/v5HbeeyRRU\">https:\/\/t.co\/v5HbeeyRRU<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/qEuEJQ49R7\">pic.twitter.com\/qEuEJQ49R7<\/a><\/p>\u2014 Presidency of the Republic of T\u00fcrkiye (@trpresidency) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/trpresidency\/status\/1970685920795037833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 24, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>U.S. President Donald Trump hosted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House for high-stakes talks on the Middle East conflict, Turkiye&#8217;s purchase of Russian oil, and the potential resumption of F-35 fighter jets sales. Both leaders also discussed Gaza conflict, sanctions, trade, and Ukraine war.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":31805,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[44,1,125],"tags":[252,92,356,21,71,20,107,13,296,702,82,540,7,22,17],"class_list":["post-31789","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-middle-east","category-news","category-united-states","tag-f-35","tag-gaza","tag-middle-east","tag-oil","tag-politics","tag-russia","tag-sanctions","tag-syria","tag-trade","tag-trump","tag-turkey","tag-turkiye","tag-u-s","tag-ukraine","tag-un"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/US-Turkiye-leaders-White-House-meeting.jpg?fit=690%2C370&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7jJWb-8gJ","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31789","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31789"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31789\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31810,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31789\/revisions\/31810"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31805"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31789"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31789"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31789"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}