Trump urges Türkiye to stop buying Russian oil, while Erdogan is chasing dealing with F-35 warplanes

US President Donald Trump urged Türkiye to stop buying oil from Russia, which is part of a broader campaign to cut energy financing in Moscow as the war continues in Ukraine.

Speaking alongside President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House, Trump said that stopping these imports would be “the best thing” that his Turkish counterpart can do.

The Oval Office meeting ended without any fixed obligations to lift US sanctions on Türkiye or sell advanced F-35 combat aircraft, although Trump expressed optimism about both cases.

Türkiye has been prevented for years from buying F-35s. In 2019, he was expelled from a program where parts of the war plane were produced after obtaining it from air defense systems from Russia.

During a brief question and answer session alongside Erdogan in the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump said that he would like Türkiye to stop “buying any oil from Russia while Russia continues its irritation against Ukraine.”

“The best thing he can do is not to buy oil and gas from Russia,” Trump said. “If he does, that will be the best thing.”

Trump added that he believed Erdogan is respected by Ukrainian President Folomer Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which means that he “could have a major impact on war” if he wants. ”

Besides India and China, Türkiye is among the largest Moscow clients for oil and gas exports.

The US President’s comments come just weeks He said he is ready to impose more striking sanctions on Russia If the NATO countries achieve the conditions that included stopping the imports of Russian oil.

Earlier this week – during a long speech at the United Nations General Assembly – Trump also accused NATO allies of “financing the war against themselves” through their energy purchases from Moscow.

During the first period of Trump in his post, the United States removed Türkiye from the F-35 program after it bought surface missile systems to the S-400 from Russia.

The US Defense Bill, which was approved in 2020, included a change in Türkiye’s prevention from obtaining F -35s, unless the American government is able to ratify that it abandoned the Russian S -400.

Some American legislators have expressed their concerns about the potential sale of Turkish military incursions into Syria and the previous violations of the Greek air field.

Earlier this week, the Hellenic Rally warned of the two parties in the US Congress against allowing Turkey to purchase the F-35S, citing its military cooperation with Russia and “ignoring international standards and democratic principles.”

However, in the Oval Office, Trump told Erdogan that he was “successful” in buying the things he would like to buy.

“He needs certain things, and we need certain things,” he said. “We will reach a result. You will know by the end of the day.”

In an interview with Fox News this week, Erdogan said about the F-35 ban: “I don’t think it has become a strategic partnership.”

Trump also said that the sanctions against Türkiye – which were carried out in 2020 after the purchase of the S -400 – could be lifted “very soon.”

“If we have a good meeting, almost immediately,” he added.