Chicago – May 05, 2025
On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan had a phone call that both leaders called “very productive.” They talked about several important issues, including how to end the war in Ukraine, the situation in Syria, and the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Trump shared on social media that Erdogan invited him to visit Turkey in the future, and Trump also invited Erdogan to come to Washington, though they did not specify when these visits would happen. Erdogan later confirmed the mutual invitations on his social media account.
Over the last decade, the relationship between Turkey and the United States had become tense due to disagreements over key issues, such as Syria and Turkey’s growing relationship with Russia. Under President Joe Biden, the U.S. kept a distance from Erdogan, and their ties became more business-focused instead of based on shared values, as they had been when Turkey joined NATO many years ago.
Now, with Trump back in the picture, Turkey hopes for a warmer relationship with the U.S., even though Trump had imposed sanctions on Turkey in 2020 due to Turkey’s purchase of Russian missile defense systems. Trump, who previously called his relationship with Erdogan “excellent,” said the two countries would work together to help end the war in Ukraine. However, neither leader gave details about what role Turkey would play in this effort, which has been stalled for some time. During his campaign, Trump promised to end the war on his first day in office, but it is still ongoing.
