WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said he wanted Ankara to cease buying Russian oil, but he also suggested that the US could waive sanctions on Turkey and permit it to acquire US F-35 warplanes as he began negotiations with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
Erdogan’s first trip to the White House in about six years coincides with Ankara’s desire to capitalize on a US administration that is willing to offer concessions in exchange for expensive trade and arms deals.
Trump and Erdogan sat side by side in the Oval Office, where Trump referred to Erdogan as a “very tough man” and stated that he wants Turkey to cease buying Russian oil.
The top European buyers of Russian goods are Turkey, Hungary, and Slovakia, and Trump is urging them to stop.
