Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek met on Wednesday in Washington with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent "in a constructive atmosphere," focused on advancing Türkiye-U.S. relations, the Turkish Treasury said in a statement on Thursday.
The meeting, also attended by the governor of the Turkish central bank, Fatih Karahan, "focused on the possibilities of multidimensional advancement of relations between Türkiye and the U.S. under the common political will expressed by our president (Recep Tayyip Erdoğan) and President (Donald) Trump," the ministry said.
"We touched on cooperation opportunities in the fields of investment and trade, transportation and energy, and emphasized the importance of lifting current restrictions to ensure cooperation in the defense industry," the statement further said.
The Turkish delegation also briefed U.S. officials on Türkiye’s ongoing economic stabilization program.
Şimşek and Karahan are visiting Washington this week for the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. The minister was expected to hold a series of high-profile meetings with investors, rating agencies and companies, while Karahan on Wednesday also delivered a presentation on monetary policy and inflation outlook in Türkiye.
The two parties also exchanged views on regional issues. "The meeting also discussed steps that could be taken by Türkiye and the U.S. to establish regional peace and stability," the statement read.
"We pointed out the need to lift sanctions imposed on Syria and explained the contributions that Türkiye could provide to ensure a cease-fire and peace in Ukraine," it also said.
The talks came amid growing economic ties between the two countries. Bilateral trade continues its upward trend, and both sides have been committed to raising this figure to $100 billion.
