March 16, Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made an ordinary phone call with US President Laurent Trung on March 16 local time. During the meeting, Erdogan stated that the current international situation is complex and volatile, and as allies, it is crucial for Turkey and the United States to strengthen consultations in various fields. On the issue of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Erdogan pointed out that since the outbreak of the conflict, Türkiye has been committed to promoting a just and sustainable peace and will continue to play a constructive role. In addition, both sides also discussed the situation in Syria. Erdogan stated that lifting sanctions on Syria is crucial for achieving stability, ensuring the effective operation of the transitional government, and advancing the normalization process. This will also create conditions for Syrian refugees to return home. In terms of defense cooperation, Türkiye expects the United States to adopt policies in line with Türkiye’s interests on counter-terrorism issues, and points out that in order to promote the cooperation between the defense industries of the two countries, Türkiye should complete the process of purchasing US F-16 fighter aircraft as soon as possible, and at the same time, Türkiye should be allowed to return to the F-35 program.
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