Erdoğan, Trump to discuss Ukraine, defence ties at NATO summit

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and US President Donald Trump are expected to discuss reviving Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Türkiye when they meet on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara on July 7.

The talks will focus on four main areas, including defence cooperation, Caliber.Az reports, citing Turkish media.

The two sides will hold talks on a $700 million deal to supply engines for Türkiye's Kaan fighter jet, the lifting of sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), and Ankara's return to the F-35 fighter jet programme.

The second and third areas will cover economic and energy cooperation, including efforts to increase bilateral trade to $100 billion and expand cooperation in the energy sector, including nuclear power.

The leaders are also expected to discuss international and regional security issues, including Syria's reconstruction and the elimination of terrorist elements, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the war in Ukraine.

According to Milliyet, the Ukraine issue will feature prominently given both countries' diplomatic efforts and Türkiye's repeated offers to host renewed negotiations and a summit on the conflict.

The newspaper noted that Trump will become the first US president to visit Türkiye in 17 years.

The last US presidential visit to Ankara was by Barack Obama in 2009.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov