Erdogan Wraps Four-Day US Trip With UN Speech, Key Meetings
Erdogan touched down in New York on Sunday, where he and first lady Emine Erdogan were greeted at John F. Kennedy International Airport by Türkiye's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Ahmet Yildiz, alongside Türkiye's Ambassador to the US, Sedat Onal, and Türkiye's Consul General in New York, Muhittin Ahmet Yazal.
The visit quickly turned into a packed schedule of bilateral diplomacy. On Monday, Erdogan sat down with Vietnamese President To Lam at the Turkish House, or Turkevi Center, covering both bilateral relations and broader regional and global concerns. Welcoming Hanoi's favorable response to Ankara's push to elevate ties to a strategic partnership, Erdogan said Türkiye is working to deepen cooperation with Vietnam across investment, trade and the defense industry.
He also held separate talks with Mohamed al-Menfi, chairman of the Libyan Presidential Council, focusing on bilateral relations and regional dynamics, and underscored that Türkiye remains committed to preserving stability in Libya.
Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah was another of Monday's visitors to the Turkish House, where the two discussed bilateral ties and regional developments. Erdogan additionally hosted Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, reaffirming that Türkiye's backing for Kosovo in securing its "rightful place" in the international community would continue, while also voicing support for dialogue among Balkan nations.
In a closed-door session at the same venue, Erdogan met with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, telling him Türkiye is working toward lasting peace and stability in Lebanon and stressing the need for an international initiative to replace the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
Rounding out his bilateral meetings, Erdogan met with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, discussing bilateral relations alongside regional and global issues. He emphasized the importance of continued solidarity between the two nations on the international stage, noting that fully leveraging the Türkiye-Georgia-Azerbaijan cooperation mechanisms would benefit all three countries.
'We stand ready to further our cooperation with the US'
Erdogan also delivered remarks Monday at the "100 Years of Friendship: Türkiye–United States of America" event, where he framed close coordination between the two countries as essential. "The conflicts, wars and crises we face in our region and around the world require Türkiye and the United States to maintain close dialogue," he said, noting that the two nations are achieving "favorable outcomes" on issues with global implications, particularly in the Middle East as well as Africa and Asia.
He added that Ankara intends to sustain and intensify these efforts going forward. "At this point, I would like to emphasize: We can never consider our strategic relationship with the United States separately from our economic and trade ties, nor do we."
Pointing to economic ties that have held firm despite global volatility, Erdogan noted that bilateral trade volume has doubled over the past decade. "Our bilateral trade, which exceeded $38 billion in 2025, reached $28 billion in the first eight months of this year. It appears that by the end of the year, we will surpass the 2025 figure, reaching $40 billion. I consider the $100 billion trade target we set together with (US) President (Donald) Trump to be highly realistic and achievable."
He further stated that Türkiye is prepared to deepen cooperation with the US in energy — including nuclear power and liquefied natural gas (LNG) — as well as civil aviation and advanced technology. "It is obligatory to advance the defense industry, which is traditionally one of the strongest areas of our partnership, both bilaterally and within NATO," he said.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
