Share and Follow
() President Donald Trump is hosting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House to discuss trade and military deals.
Speaking to reporters, Trump suggested that sanctions against Turkey could be lifted if the meeting goes well.
On Truth Social, Trump said talks would include the purchase of Boeing aircraft and possible deals on F-16s and F-35s. In his first term, Trump kicked Turkey out of a fighter jet deal after the country purchased an air defense system from Russia.
Trump suggested Erdogan could become more involved in peace deals in Gaza and Ukraine by agreeing to stop purchasing oil from Russia. Turkey, a NATO country, has yet to stop importing Russian oil as many European countries have done.
Before his meeting with Erdogan, Trump also noted that the U.S. is selling weapons to NATO and criticized former President Joe Biden for “giving away” weapons as part of U.S. relationships with allied countries.
Trump also repeated his claim that the war in Ukraine would not have started if he had been president. The president campaigned on getting a peace deal in Ukraine very quickly, something that still has not been accomplished.
The president also said he had solved seven wars, something that has been disputed by some of the countries involved in conflicts.
Trump also touched on the possibility of a government shutdown, laying blame on Democrats and claiming that Democrats want to give money to those in the country illegally.
He also said he wants to take tariff money and give it back to farmers, noting that farmers will have to suffer for a while.
Trump also blamed the “radical left” for political violence, warning Democrats that energizing the right would be bad, saying the right is “tougher than the left.”
That statement comes as other leaders have called for lowering the temperature of political discourse and called on Trump to deliver a message of unity, not partisan divisiveness.
The visit is Erdogan’s first trip to the White House since 2019. The two leaders forged what Trump has described as a “very good relationship” during his first White House go-around, despite the U.S.-Turkey relationship often being complicated.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
