For the first time in six years, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will meet U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday, a summit set against the backdrop of global crises and fraught regional tensions.
The talks come after Erdoğan’s address at the U.N. General Assembly, where he sharply criticized Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza and urged recognition of Palestinian statehood. More than 150 countries have already recognized Palestine, and Erdoğan is expected to press Trump on humanitarian aid and cease-fire efforts.
While points of friction remain, both leaders have signaled they want to frame the meeting as an opportunity to rebuild trust and advance mutual interests. “Thanks to my long-standing friendship with Trump, we developed a mutual will to resolve certain issues on our agenda,” Erdoğan told a Turkish-American gathering in New York on Monday.
For Washington, the overriding priority is to secure NATO ally Türkiye’s cooperation while limiting Russian influence. Trump has repeatedly underlined the value of Ankara as a partner rather than a rival.
In announcing the meeting last week, Trump said he was working with Erdoğan “on many commercial and military agreements,” highlighting Boeing aircraft sales, an F-16 deal and the stalled F-35 program. He added: “I have always had a very good relationship with President Erdoğan. I look forward to seeing him on the 25th.”
Analysts say the Trump administration is approaching the meeting with a pragmatic focus: strengthen strategic ties, bolster trade and reinforce its position against Russia and China by drawing Türkiye to its side.
For Ankara, one of the most pressing issues is the future of its air force. Türkiye was removed from the F-35 fighter jet program after its 2019 purchase of Russian S-400 missile systems, triggering U.S. sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
Erdoğan has called the exclusion “not suitable for a strategic partnership” and pointed out that Türkiye paid $1.4 billion for aircraft it never received. He told Fox News this week that the matter would be raised again: “Right now, we will discuss these issues once more,” he said, adding that both F-35s and F-16 upgrades are on the table.
Trump himself said he expected a resolution to the long-running rift on fighter jets.
Ankara also hopes to see the lifting of sanctions as part of a compromise deal, arguing a “middle ground” could be found on the S-400 dispute.
Another sensitive topic is U.S. support for the YPG, which Ankara considers to be the Syrian branch of the PKK, a designated terrorist organization that has killed at least 40,000 people in a four-decade terror campaign.
Erdoğan is expected to press Trump to end U.S. reliance on the YPG as a proxy force against Daesh in northern Syria, arguing that the policy has reached its limits. Turkish officials say they will present Washington with alternative counterterrorism plans while reiterating their goal of eliminating PKK-linked groups along Türkiye’s borders.
The Trump administration, meanwhile, views Syria as both a security challenge and a potential economic opportunity, making compromise difficult.
Perhaps the most contentious topic will be Israel. Ankara’s harsh criticism of Israeli military operations in Gaza since October 2023 has unsettled policymakers in Washington, many of whom remain committed to Trump’s earlier policies, including recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
But Erdoğan has made Gaza central to his international agenda. At the U.N., he called for a permanent cease-fire, humanitarian corridors and recognition of a Palestinian state. “It is time to end oppression in Palestine,” he said, linking any possible normalization of ties with Israel to progress on a two-state solution.
Trump is expected to tread carefully, balancing close ties with Israel against growing international opposition to its Gaza policy. Some observers believe the White House meeting could even test the waters for indirect dialogue between Ankara and Tel Aviv.
One of the few areas where both sides are optimistic is trade. The Trump administration has revived a $100 billion bilateral trade target, first floated during Trump’s initial term but derailed by disputes.
The two countries’ trade volume stood at roughly $30 billion last year.
Türkiye hopes to expand exports to the U.S., attract investment in its defense and technology sectors, and secure financing through institutions such as Eximbank. Erdoğan said he believes economic relations “will reach a much better position, especially in the defense industry, but also in industry and technology.”
Beyond immediate disputes, Ankara will use the meeting to emphasize its role as a regional power with global reach. Erdoğan has positioned Türkiye as a mediator in conflicts ranging from Ukraine to the Caucasus, maintaining dialogue with both Moscow and Kyiv while remaining a NATO member.
That balancing act complicates relations with Washington, which seeks to counter Russian and Chinese influence but also acknowledges Türkiye’s unique diplomatic channels.
While skepticism lingers in Washington, particularly within the State Department and Pentagon, both leaders are entering the summit with a stated preference for cooperation over confrontation. For Trump, Türkiye is a strategic ally whose support strengthens U.S. leverage in the Middle East. For Erdoğan, the meeting is a chance to secure long-stalled defense deals and to spotlight Gaza on the global stage.
“The ties between Ankara and Washington are more indispensable than ever,” Erdoğan said this week, pointing to polarization across diplomacy, security, economics and technology.
Whether the personal rapport between the two presidents can deliver real policy breakthroughs remains uncertain. For now, both leaders appear intent on keeping the door open and avoiding another prolonged freeze in relations.
