WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan held a telephone call on Monday that both leaders described as “very productive” and said they discussed everything from how to end Russia’s war in Ukraine to Syria and the Gaza war.
In a social media post, Trump said the Turkish leader had invited him to Turkey “at a future date” and that he would also be coming to Washington, but did not say when. Erdogan, in a subsequent X post confirmed the mutual invite.
“The phone call that I had today with my friend Donald Trump was very productive, comprehensive and sincere,” Erdogan said. The bilateral ties between Turkey and the United States had gradually soured over the past decade over disagreements on key policy issues including Syria and Ankara’s closer ties with Moscow.
Under the administration of former President Joe Biden, who kept Erdogan at an arm’s length, the nature of U.S.-Turkey ties further evolved into a more transactional one from the values-based partnership that it traditionally had been since Ankara joined NATO decades ago.
With the arrival of Trump, Ankara is hoping for a friendlier Washington, even though it was the Republican president who imposed sanctions on Turkey in late 2020 over its purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense systems.
Trump, who described as “excellent” his relationship with Erdogan during his first tenure at the White House, said the two countries would cooperate on ending the war in Ukraine.
“I look forward to working with President Erdogan on getting the ridiculous but deadly, War between Russia and Ukraine ended — NOW!,” Trump said in his post. Erdogan welcomed the U.S. efforts to end the war, Turkey’s presidency said.
Neither side gave any details what specific role Ankara would play in the process, which has stalled even as the Republican president during his campaign pledged that he would end the war on day one of his tenure.
Since taking office in January, Trump has upended U.S. policy toward the war in Ukraine, pressing Kyiv to agree to a ceasefire while easing pressure on Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbor in 2022.
After repeatedly blaming Ukraine over the war even though Moscow invaded its smaller neighbor, Trump has turned some of his ire on Russian President Vladimir Putin recently, questioning his sincerity on making a deal to end the war.
Erdogan also expressed the need for the uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza in the phone call adding that Ankara is ready to provide support for the establishment of a ceasefire and lasting peace, according to the Turkish readout.
The Turkish leader also told Trump that Ankara was working to help preserve Syria’s territorial integrity and urged Trump to consider sanctions relief for Damascus.
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