President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Donald Trump met at the Presidential Complex in Ankara on the sidelines of the NATO Summit.
After the bilateral meeting, Erdogan said: "Being together with my dear friend in Ankara has given us additional strength."
On the F-35 issue, President Erdogan stated: "This is not a new issue for us. We previously discussed it with the US and received a commitment for five aircraft. I believe a favorable decision will come out of the Leaders' Summit. Mr. Trump always keeps his word."
In response to a question on sanctions, Trump said: "I can say that we can lift the CAATSA sanctions."
Regarding Iran-US relations, Erdogan said: "We are striving to put Iran-US relations on a positive track. We are working to take a step toward world peace."
On the situation in Gaza, Erdogan stated: "We attach great importance to this Leaders' Summit to discuss Gaza with my dear friend and to secure peace in the region."
Erdogan also raised the KAAN engine issue, saying: "We will discuss the KAAN engines with my dear friend at the Leaders' Summit. I believe he will repeat the good news he has given us."
Concerning the Russia-Ukraine war, Erdogan said: "We will share the developments between Russia and Ukraine with my dear friend here, discuss them, and take steps accordingly. As two important NATO countries, we will achieve a strong, solidarity-driven outcome from the Leaders' Summit, and we believe we will succeed."
US President Trump noted that Turkey has become a very powerful country militarily, adding: "President Erdogan, under your leadership you are a leader respected worldwide. If this meeting had not been held in Turkey, where my friend is a strong leader, I probably would not have attended. Right now, our relations with Turkey are better than ever."
