Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his American counterpart, Marco Rubio, met Tuesday for talks at the State Department in Washington. It marked Fidan's first visit under President Donald Trump's administration and focused on strengthening Türkiye-U.S. relations, as well as preparing for future high-level visits between the two nations.
The two countries want to remove obstacles to defense industry cooperation, a Turkish Foreign Ministry source said on Wednesday after the talks.
Fidan kicked off a two-day visit to Washington on Tuesday, where he was expected to ask Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other U.S. officials to remove U.S. sanctions on Türkiye and allow it back into a crucial fighter jet program. The visit comes as Ankara seeks warmer ties with Washington under the administration of President Trump and just days after a phone call between Trump and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan that a top Trump aide described as "transformational."
Ties between the U.S. and Türkiye have drifted away from a strategic partnership in recent years as disagreements between the two long-standing treaty allies have widened. The administration of former President Joe Biden kept Türkiye at arm's length over what it saw as the fellow NATO member's close ties with Russia. Under Trump, who views Moscow much more favorably, Ankara hopes for a warmer relationship with Washington. It also plans to capitalize on the personal ties between the two leaders.
During the meeting between Fidan and Rubio on Tuesday, both sides "clearly put forth their political will to lift obstacles to cooperation in the defense industry field," the source said, adding they also followed up on matters discussed between Trump and Erdoğan. "Technical talks will be held to resolve existing problems," the person added, without elaborating. During his first term, Trump initially ignored advice from his aides to impose sanctions on Türkiye under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) over Ankara's acquisition of Russian S-400 air defense missile systems in 2019. He then took the step in 2020. That acquisition also led to Türkiye's removal from the F-35 jet program, where it was a manufacturer and buyer. Ankara says its removal is unjust and illegal, and has demanded to rejoin or be reimbursed for its investment in the program.
Conversations between the allies on how to resolve the S-400 deadlock were ongoing under Biden. Türkiye had pledged to keep the systems non-operational, a source familiar with the discussions said, but a breakthrough never came. A Turkish official, requesting anonymity, told Reuters ahead of Fidan's visit that Ankara was aiming to agree with Washington that keeping the S-400s non-operational can be enough to resolve the matter.
During the Biden era, the allies had settled into a new phase of relations, with a more transactional focus rather than based on shared values, as differences over policies on Syria, the war in Gaza, and judicial matters persisted. Since coming back into office on Jan. 20, Trump upended Biden's policy to isolate Moscow and provide unwavering support to Kyiv and instead focused on ending Russia's war in Ukraine. His shift spooked European leaders who feared Washington could turn its back on Europe and bolstered Ankara's role as a potential partner in reshaping European security.
The Turkish official said discussions between Washington and Ankara had "taken a new dimension" after Trump's shift in approach to Moscow.
"If U.S. sanctions on Russia are to be lifted, it becomes illogical for CAATSA to be implemented on third countries. As much as this issue is about Turkey-USA ties, it is also about Turkey-Russia ties," the official added.
Sources familiar with the matter said the recent phone call between Erdoğan and Trump may bring positive momentum to conversations in the coming days, though no promises were made. "The president had a great conversation with Erdoğan a few days ago. Really transformational, I would describe it," Trump's special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, said in an interview with right-wing podcaster Tucker Carlson.
Exclusion from the F-35 program pushed Türkiye to purchase 40 Lockheed Martin Block-70 F-16 fighter jets. However, despite agreeing on the procurement, there has been little progress on the acquisition for months.
The Turkish source said Fidan and Rubio also discussed the head-of-state-level visits to be held in the coming period, without elaborating. The two also emphasized the importance of stability in Syria and the Balkans, while discussing efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war and the need for a cease-fire in Gaza, the source added.
Fidan is also expected to meet other senior U.S. officials. The discussions will cover a range of regional issues, including the situations in Ukraine, Palestine and Syria, with an emphasis on exploring further opportunities for cooperation. Fidan is expected to convey Ankara's positions on key regional matters, particularly its support for Syria's stability and territorial integrity.
The importance of lifting sanctions on Syria and expanding Türkiye-U.S. cooperation in humanitarian aid and reconstruction efforts will also be discussed. Additionally, the fight against the Daesh terror group and the management of refugee camps will be addressed. The meetings will also focus on strengthening cooperation in combating terrorism, including efforts to dismantle the PKK/YPG terror groups and combating the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ). Fidan will highlight Türkiye's diplomatic efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war and support U.S.-led cease-fire initiatives, offering to contribute further to those efforts. The talks will also address the need for greater efforts to achieve a permanent cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, facilitate humanitarian aid into the enclave and the U.S. using its influence on Israel.
President Erdoğan said Monday that relations with the U.S. can gain "significant momentum." "I believe that we should and will achieve this for the sake of our region despite all the challenges, especially despite lobbies seeking to poison the two countries' cooperation," Erdoğan told reporters after a Cabinet meeting.
