Overview

• President Donald Trump hosted Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House for the first time since 2019, focusing on Ukraine, energy and defense ties.
• Trump urged Turkey to stop purchasing Russian oil and gas during the war in Ukraine and linked cooperation to near-immediate relief of U.S. defense sanctions.
• The president signaled openness to major aircraft sales, saying Turkey could proceed with F-16 purchases and possibly reenter the F-35 program after its S-400-related expulsion.
• Erdogan did not publicly commit to changing energy purchases, a significant hurdle given Turkey sourced 66% of its oil and 41% of its gas from Russia in 2024.
• Trump floated a mediator role for Turkey in potential Russia–Ukraine talks, while other agenda items included Gaza, Syria and a potential Boeing–Turkish Airlines deal, with no binding agreements announced.