Trump set to receive Erdogan, anticipates resolution of disagreement over warplanes
During President Biden's second term, the delivery of F-35 jets to Turkey remains suspended. Turkey was removed from the F-35 program by the U.S. during former President Trump's first term, and while Turkey seeks to rejoin, no actual deliveries have resumed.
Turkey's defiant purchase of Russia's S-400 surface-to-air missile defense system led to this decision. The U.S. has pushed for a resolution, but as of now, no progress has been made.
Trump expressed admiration for forceful foreign leaders, but had a tense relationship with Turkish President Erdogan, accusing him of autocratic behaviour. Despite this, Trump showed a fondness for Erdogan, and it is believed that Erdogan believed the F-35s would be delivered to Turkey step-by-step during Trump's term.
Trump's relationship with Erdogan was not without controversy. Turkey allowed Hamas leaders to spend time in the country, which raised concerns from close U.S. ally Israel.
Erdogan's visit to the White House, scheduled for Thursday during the UN General Assembly in New York, will be the first bilateral visit to the White House by Erdogan since 2019. This visit comes after Erdogan claimed to have reached an "agreement" with Trump on the state-of-the-art F-35 jets.
Syria, on the other hand, has voiced hope for finalizing security and military arrangements with Israel by the end of the year. Senior U.S. officials met with Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani in Washington, signalling a possible shift in U.S. policy towards Syria.
Israel, meanwhile, has pounded Syria, destroying key military sites, as it sees a chance to do damage to its neighbour and historic adversary.
The U.S. has also expressed interest in potential trade and military deals with Turkey. Trump announced a potential for many Trade and Military Deals with Erdogan, including the large scale purchase of Boeing aircraft, a major F-16 Deal, and a continuation of the F-35 talks.
However, the visit comes at a time when Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul and presidential candidate of the main opposition CHP party, was arrested in March on charges that critics see as politically motivated. This incident has raised concerns about the state of democracy in Turkey.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau underscored the historic opportunity for Syria to build a peaceful, prosperous, and sovereign nation following US sanctions relief. The U.S. is hopeful that this visit will lead to a positive shift in U.S.-Turkey relations and bring about stability in the region.
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