Cyprus News Agency

Erdoğan left Blair House and arrived at the White House. An honor guard was present in the garden, and President Trump welcomed him at the entrance. After shaking hands and greeting the press, the two leaders entered the White House for talks.

The leaders met in the Oval Office

Before their private meeting, President Erdoğan and President Trump made short remarks to the press in the Oval Office.

Trump said in his statement that he had long been a friend of President Erdoğan, noting that Turkey has a strong military and actively uses American defense equipment. He added: “We want to further increase trade with Turkey. The F-35 and F-16 issues will also be discussed at the meeting. I am pleased to host Erdoğan here.”

President Erdoğan, for his part, expressed satisfaction that the visit coincided with the UN General Assembly. He said: “As Mr. Trump stated, we will discuss in detail the F-35 and F-16 projects as well as the Halkbank case. We are also ready to do our part regarding the Halki Theological Seminary.”

Answering journalists’ questions

Before the meeting, the leaders also answered journalists’ questions. Trump said he wanted Turkey to reduce its oil purchases from Russia, adding: “The Russian economy is in poor condition. Putin must stop this war. We do a lot of business with Turkey. We will discuss all issues, and steps may also be taken on Gaza.”

President Erdoğan said: “I believe we will overcome the region’s problems by working hand in hand.”

After the private and delegation-level meetings, cooperation on various issues is expected to be discussed.