Erdogan Leaves the White House "Happy" After Achieving Tangible Progress

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his talks with U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday achieved "tangible progress" on a range of regional and bilateral issues, during their first meeting at the White House in six years. The discussion focused on ways to enhance cooperation in defense and trade.

Erdogan did not mention Turkey's purchases of Russian oil or American fighter jets during his remarks to reporters, which were key parts of Thursday's talks. He explained that the meeting came after a period of cooling in relations with the Biden administration, considering that good personal relations with Trump present an opportunity to enhance trade and military cooperation between Ankara and Washington.

Erdogan confirmed that he exchanged views with Trump on steps to boost trade, including reconsidering tariffs with the aim of raising bilateral trade volume to $100 billion, adding that he left the meeting "happy." His office stated: "It is impossible to resolve all issues in one meeting, but the meeting saw tangible progress on many issues."

On another note, Turkish Airlines announced a pending deal following the meeting, which includes an order for 75 Boeing 787 aircraft and the completion of negotiations for 150 737 Max planes, along with additional talks regarding engines.