Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and U.S. President Donald Trump could hold another face-to-face meeting in New York later this month as world leaders gather for the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.
U.S. Congressman Darrell Issa said he expects Erdoğan and Trump to meet during Erdoğan’s planned visit to the United States for the U.N. gathering.
The comments come amid signs of renewed momentum in U.S.-Turkey relations, particularly over defense cooperation, regional security and longstanding disputes between the two NATO allies.
Issa: We Expect a Trump-Erdoğan Meeting
Issa made the comments following a series of high-level meetings in Ankara.
“President Erdoğan will visit the U.S. for the U.N. General Assembly planned for the end of September. We expect there will be a meeting between Trump and Erdoğan,” Issa said.
According to the congressman, a full-scale bilateral summit may not necessarily be required for the two presidents to meet.
Issa suggested that Erdoğan and Trump could instead hold a shorter meeting on the sidelines of the U.N. gathering, as world leaders navigate packed diplomatic schedules in New York.
He said he believes the two presidents have considered meeting to discuss what he described as their countries’ significant shared interests.
Erdoğan and Trump ‘Have a Very Good Personal Relationship’
Issa also drew attention to the personal relationship between the Turkish and American presidents.
According to the congressman, Erdoğan and Trump continue to communicate directly and speak frequently.
“President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and President Donald Trump continue to talk,” Issa said, adding that the two leaders have “a very good personal relationship.”
That relationship could become increasingly important as Ankara and Washington attempt to resolve several complicated issues that have affected bilateral relations in recent years.
Defense Issues Could Dominate the Agenda
If a meeting takes place in New York, defense cooperation is likely to be one of the major issues surrounding the talks.
Turkey and the United States have been discussing Ankara’s acquisition of Russia’s S-400 air defense system, Turkey’s exclusion from the F-35 fighter jet program and the modernization of the Turkish F-16 fleet.
Issa has separately said that discussions involving the United Arab Emirates have taken place as part of efforts to find a possible solution to the S-400 dispute.
He has also argued that modernization of Turkey’s existing F-16 fleet should be an immediate priority.
Resolving those issues could remove some of the most significant obstacles in U.S.-Turkey defense relations.
Syria and Regional Security Also in Focus
The two countries also have major overlapping interests across the Middle East.
Syria is particularly important, with Ankara and Washington maintaining extensive diplomatic engagement over the country’s future and regional stability.
U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, who also serves as a U.S. special envoy for Syria and Iraq, has been directly involved in recent talks with Turkish officials.
Developments involving Israel, Syria, Gaza and broader regional security could therefore form part of any Erdoğan-Trump conversation in New York.
Issa Met Erdoğan and Hakan Fidan in Ankara
Issa’s comments came shortly after he held high-level contacts in the Turkish capital.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with Issa and U.S. Ambassador Tom Barrack on September 8.
A day later, Erdoğan received Barrack, Issa and Issa’s wife at the Presidential Complex in Ankara. The meeting was held behind closed doors.
Following the meeting, Barrack described the U.S.-Turkey relationship in strongly positive terms and emphasized the countries’ cooperation as NATO allies, economic partners and longstanding friends.
The meetings have added to speculation that Ankara and Washington are preparing for another period of intensified diplomatic engagement.
New York Could Become the Next Major Stop in U.S.-Turkey Diplomacy
The U.N. General Assembly will bring world leaders to New York later this month, creating an opportunity for numerous bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the gathering.
No Erdoğan-Trump meeting has yet been formally announced by the Turkish Presidency or the White House.
Issa’s remarks, therefore, represent an expectation rather than confirmation of a scheduled bilateral meeting.
However, his comments are notable given that they came immediately after his meetings with senior Turkish officials and Erdoğan himself.
If the meeting takes place, attention will likely focus on whether Erdoğan and Trump can translate their personal relationship into concrete progress on defense cooperation, regional security and other unresolved issues between Turkey and the United States.
