Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is poised to meet US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the NATO summit in a bid to turn the page on strained relations between the two countries, people familiar with the matter said.
The meeting is expected to take place in The Hague late on Tuesday, the people said, speaking on condition of anonymity as the talks are private. US officials didn’t immediately respond to a request to comment.
Ties between the two sides grew tense following Turkey’s decision to buy a Russian S-400 missile-defense system, which prompted the US to bar Ankara from purchasing F-35 fighter jets. US support for a Syrian Kurdish militia that Turkey views as a threat also hurt relations, the people said.
Erdogan will try to convince Trump to lift the ban by providing assurances that his country will use the Russian missile defense system in a controlled way, they said.
Turkey has argued that the purchase of F-35 jets would enable its military to operate in sync with other NATO members and bolster deterrence on the alliance’s southeastern flank. Turkey wants to buy a total of 40 F-35s and 40 F-16s, the people said.
Separately, Ankara will also seek permission to obtain and assemble GE Aerospace F110 and F404 engines used in the US-made fighter jets and in Turkey’s twin-engine Kaan warplanes and Hurjet training aircraft.
During the meeting with Trump, Erdogan may discuss integration of the US-backed Syrian Kurdish militia with links to a separatist Turkish group, the PKK, into a new Syrian army, the people said.
He may also ask the US president to restraint Israel in the region and express his opposition to any move by Israel to set up a permanent military installation in Syria, they said.
With assistance from Josh Wingrove.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
