In New York to attend the U.N. General Assembly, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was also the top guest of the "100 Years of Friendship Gala," organized by the Turkish-American business world to highlight the relations between Türkiye and the United States.
Erdoğan said at the event on Monday that conflicts, wars and crises facing the region and the world require Türkiye and the U.S. to remain in close dialogue, stressing the need for "new momentum” in ties between the two NATO allies.
"Thanks to the dialogue and coordination we have established with America, we are achieving positive results for our countries on many issues whose global issues we are witnessing, particularly in the Middle East, but also from Africa to Asia,” he said. "We are determined to continue this by redoubling our efforts in the coming period.” Erdoğan said Türkiye and the U.S. have made significant progress across their relationship, citing his "sincere and exceptional dialogue” with U.S. President Donald Trump and Trump’s visit to Ankara in July.
He said Türkiye is ready to advance cooperation with the U.S. in areas including nuclear energy, liquefied natural gas (LNG), civil aviation and high technology. "Developing the defense industry, traditionally one of the strongest areas of our partnership, both bilaterally and within NATO is essential,” he said. "We want to leave behind the barriers that should never have existed between two allies and gain new momentum.” "Deepening our cooperation with the United States in a multidimensional manner, including opportunities for joint production, will be in our mutual interest,” he said.
Erdoğan said Turkish companies have reached a level that enables them to invest in the U.S., expressing confidence that Türkiye will soon rank among the world's top 10 defense exporters. "Twenty years ago, we exported only $248 million worth of defense products annually. Today, we have reached a level of more than $10 billion in defense exports,” he said. He added that Türkiye’s share of global defense equipment exports had increased by more than 120% compared with five years ago. "I hope that the strong ties between Türkiye and the United States and the bonds of alliance will grow even stronger in the second century of our diplomatic relations,” he said.
The president also said that Türkiye has maintained and strengthened its position as an "island of stability” despite the crises and conflicts surrounding it.
He noted that foreign direct investment attracted by Türkiye over the past 24 years had approached $300 billion. He also cited reconstruction efforts following the 2023 earthquakes, saying more than 455,000 homes had been completed and handed over to earthquake victims within about three years.
Erdoğan said the figures demonstrated the resilience of the Turkish economy and called on investors to take advantage of opportunities in the country. "We are now launching a new investment drive on this strong foundation,” he said. He said an investment program announced in April introduced one of the world’s most competitive incentive packages, including reducing the corporate tax rate for investors from 25% to 12.5%. "We tell investors: ‘Come and manage your operations from Türkiye,’” he said.
Erdoğan called on the U.S.-Türkiye Business Council and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to continue encouraging American investors to take advantage of opportunities in Türkiye.
Speaking at the same event, U.S. Senator Chris Coons highlighted the longstanding partnership between Türkiye and the United States, saying business ties and entrepreneurship have helped strengthen relations between the two countries. He described the relations between the two countries as a "hundred years of deep and meaningful partnership and friendship, cemented by business.”
Referring to his recent visit to Ankara for the NATO summit, Coons highlighted the countries’ longstanding NATO alliance, noting that Türkiye and the U.S. will mark 75 years as NATO treaty allies next year.
Speaking about the important contributions made by Turkish businesspeople operating in the U.S., Coons said the NATO summit held in Ankara also played a particularly important role for the future of the alliance.
The "100 Years of Friendship Gala,” organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the U.S.-Türkiye Business Council (USTBC) and hosted by Council Chair Hamdi Ulukaya in New York, was attended by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşwk, Trade Minister Ömer Bolat, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu and Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş. The event was also attended by Mehmet Öz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, as well as numerous senior U.S. officials and members of Congress.
