Erdogan Meets Trump in The Hague: Focus on Defense Industry Cooperation

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with US President Donald Trump during the NATO Summit in The Hague. According to an announcement from the Turkish Presidency’s Communication Directorate, Erdogan expressed his satisfaction regarding the ceasefire achieved between Israel and Iran thanks to Trump’s efforts. He wished for it to be permanent and emphasized the importance of close dialogue to end the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza as soon as possible and achieve peaceful resolution of the war between Russia and Ukraine. Erdogan also highlighted that both countries have vast potential in various fields, especially in energy and investments, stating that promoting cooperation in the defense industry would facilitate achieving a trade volume goal of $100 billion. Both leaders, as key NATO allies, stressed the importance of measures to strengthen the alliance’s deterrent power. This was their first meeting since Trump’s election. The bilateral relations between Turkey and the United States, along with regional and global issues, were discussed during the approximately 45-minute-long meeting that began at 23:30 Greek time (22:30 Dutch time) on June 24.