President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Friday he had concluded a “productive” trip to the United States, where he attended the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
In a post on his social media account, Erdoğan said he held “very productive programs, contacts and meetings” during his five-day visit before returning to Türkiye. “Türkiye will continue to be the voice of conscience around the world,” he wrote, adding a Turkish flag emoji alongside a video showing images from his meetings in New York.
Erdoğan traveled Sunday to address the U.N. General Assembly and hold bilateral meetings. That day he attended the Türkiye Investment Conference, where he said trade with the U.S. surpassed $35 billion last year, adding that the $100 billion trade goal set in 2019 with Donald Trump “continues to be our common goal.” He highlighted energy and defense as priority areas of cooperation.
On Monday, Erdoğan joined a high-level conference on Palestine, saying the cause had become “a global issue.” He hailed the recognition of Palestine by several countries as “historic.”
On Tuesday, Erdoğan addressed the General Assembly, focusing on Israel’s war in Gaza. Displaying photos from Gaza, he said: “This is not a fight against terrorism. This is an occupation, deportation, exile, genocide.”
He also touched on regional issues, such as Syria, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), the Russia-Ukraine war, the Balkans and the EU. He reiterated his call for a change at the U.N., referring to the Security Council's unrepresentative membership.
He also called for reform at the U.N., repeating his slogan: “The world is bigger than five.”
Later, he met Trump at a multilateral meeting on Gaza and attended a reception at the White House.
Erdoğan also gave a speech at a U.N. climate event, pledging a 466-million-ton cut in emissions by 2035, raising renewable energy to more than 60% of capacity, and seeking to host COP31 in 2026.
On the sidelines, Erdoğan held talks with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al Hamada Al Sabah, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Libyan Presidential Council President Mohammad al-Manfi, Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, French President Emmanuel Macron, Vietnamese President Luong Cuong and European Council President Antonio Costa.
He urged support for Gaza cease-fires, increased international pressure on Israel, stressed Syria’s territorial integrity and congratulated France for recognizing Palestine.
In New York, Erdoğan met with members of the Turkish American community and U.S. business leaders.
Later, he traveled to Washington, where Trump welcomed him with an official ceremony at the White House for their first meeting in Washington in six years.
The two leaders held a working lunch before moving to the Oval Office for talks that lasted more than two hours. They discussed defense sales, including Türkiye’s requests for F-16 and F-35 fighter jets, as well as the legal case involving Turkish lender Halkbank.
Erdoğan also said Türkiye was “ready to do whatever is necessary” regarding the reopening of the Greek Orthodox Seminary in Istanbul.
Speaking to reporters, Erdoğan described U.S.-Türkiye relations as going through a “very distinct” period under Trump and expressed confidence that “together, hand in hand, we will overcome these challenges in the region.”
Trump, for his part, praised Erdoğan as “a highly respected man” who had built “a tremendous, powerful military” and called their talks “a great meeting.” He personally accompanied the Turkish leader to the White House door afterward.
