Erdogan: We Hope Trump Will Take Different Steps Regarding the Middle East

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed on Wednesday his hope that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump would take different steps in the Middle East during his upcoming term, beginning in January.

According to Turkey’s Anadolu news agency, Erdogan made these comments aboard the presidential plane while returning from his visits to Saudi Arabia, where he attended the special joint summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League, and to Azerbaijan for the COP 29 United Nations Climate Change Conference. When asked about the future of Turkish-American relations during Trump’s term, Erdogan said that this would become clear during their bilateral meetings and international discussions.

He added that Ankara is monitoring Trump’s appointments for his upcoming administration, emphasizing the importance of the vice president and secretary of state positions for developing relations between Ankara and Washington.

Erdogan expressed his hope for a significant new phase in relations between Turkey and the United States during Trump’s upcoming term.

He confirmed mutual opportunities across various fields between the two countries, indicating that they expect Trump’s administration to show the necessary will to seize these opportunities and turn them into mutual gains, and that Turkey views Trump’s new term from a perspective of national interests.

Erdogan highlighted the importance Trump’s administration places on the economy, stressing that Turkey offers promising investment opportunities thanks to its geographical location and young population.