Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed efforts to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and restore stability in Syria during a phone conversation, Erdogan's office announced. Erdogan expressed Turkey's support for Trump's decisive actions to achieve peace in the region and emphasized Turkey's commitment to strive for a just and lasting resolution.
The conversation also touched upon the significance of jointly working to lift sanctions on Syria to facilitate stability, support the functionality of the new administration, and promote normalization to enable the return of Syrians to their homeland. Additionally, Erdogan highlighted Turkey's expectations for U.S. cooperation in combating terrorism while considering Turkish interests.
Regarding the fight against the Islamic State in Syria, Turkey raised concerns about the U.S. alliance with a Syrian Kurdish militia that Turkey considers a terrorist organization, criticizing it as a betrayal of a NATO ally. Erdogan underscored the importance of resolving issues such as the CAATSA sanctions, finalizing Ankara's F-16 procurement, and reinstating Turkey in the F-35 program to enhance defense industry cooperation between the two countries.
The imposition of U.S. sanctions due to Turkey's previous acquisition of Russian S-400 air defense systems led to Turkey's exclusion from the F-35 fighter jet program in 2019.