President Erdoğan spoke at the “100 Years of Friendship: Türkiye-United States” event held in New York, where he was attending the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Erdoğan said Türkiye and the United States had made a strong start to the 100th anniversary of their diplomatic relations. He said his dialogue with President Trump had advanced relations between the two countries in various areas, adding that the meeting in Washington and Trump’s visit to Ankara in July had strengthened their alliance.
$100 billion target in bilateral trade
Erdoğan said close dialogue between Türkiye and the United States had produced positive results on many issues extending from Africa to Asia, particularly in the Middle East. He said political relations and economic and commercial ties should be addressed together.
Erdoğan said trade between the two countries had doubled over the past 10 years. He said bilateral trade exceeded $38 billion in 2025, reached $28 billion in the first eight months of this year and was expected to reach $40 billion by the end of the year. Erdoğan described the $100 billion trade target set with Trump as realistic and achievable.
Erdoğan said Türkiye was located in a strategically important region and had maintained its stability despite the crises around it. He said Türkiye had strong ties with many regions, from Syria to Iraq and from the Caucasus to North Africa.
Economic and investment messages
Erdoğan said Türkiye’s national income had risen from $236 billion when they took office to $1.8 trillion. He said per capita income would exceed $20,000 by the end of 2026, adding that the amount of foreign direct investment flowing into Türkiye over the past 24 years had approached $300 billion.
Erdoğan said the rubble had been cleared within three years of the 2023 earthquakes and that more than 455,000 homes had been completed and delivered to earthquake victims in the affected region. He argued that these developments demonstrated the resilience of the Turkish economy to shocks.
Erdoğan said the investment program announced in April had reduced the corporate tax rate for investors from 25% to 12.5%. He said earnings from transit trade in the Istanbul Financial Center and designated industrial zones had been exempted from corporate tax, adding that the practice had also been extended across Türkiye.
Emphasis on defense industry exports
Erdoğan said Türkiye and the United States were ready to advance cooperation in energy, nuclear energy, LNG, civil aviation and high technology. He said the defense industry was also an important area of bilateral relations and the partnership between the two countries within NATO.
Erdoğan said Türkiye had become a globally sought-after actor in the defense industry. He said defense exports had risen from $248 million 20 years ago to more than $10 billion today, adding that Türkiye’s share of global defense equipment exports had increased by more than 120% compared with five years ago.
Erdoğan said Turkish defense companies had reached a level that enabled them to invest in the United States. He said he believed Türkiye would soon rank among the world’s top 10 countries in defense industry exports. Erdoğan said more comprehensive cooperation with the United States, including opportunities for joint production, would serve the common interests of both countries.
Emphasis on the Turkish-American community
Erdoğan said they were pleased that Turkish citizens living in the United States maintained their ties with Türkiye while also becoming strongly integrated into American society. He said they were proud of members of the Turkish-American community who had distinguished themselves in politics, business, science, culture, the arts and sports.
Erdoğan expressed hope that the ties between Türkiye and the United States and the framework of their alliance would grow stronger in the second century of diplomatic relations. He praised the contributions of representatives from Congress, business, academia, and the cultural and artistic communities who attended the event. At the end of the program, Hamdi Ulukaya, chairman of the U.S.-Türkiye Business Council, presented Erdoğan with a gift to commemorate the event.
