Trump Presses Erdogan to Cut Russian Oil, Hints at F-35 Deal in High-Stakes White House Meeting

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – In a high-stakes Oval Office meeting that blended warm personal praise with firm strategic demands, U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday urged Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to leverage his influence with Moscow by halting all purchases of Russian oil, framing the move as a decisive step toward ending Russia's nearly four-year-long war in Ukraine. The direct appeal, made as the two leaders sat side-by-side, was intricately linked to Erdogan's top priority: regaining Türkiye's access to the advanced F-35 stealth fighter jet program. 

The summit, Erdogan's first visit to the White House since 2019, underscored a significant diplomatic recalibration, with Trump viewing the Turkish leader as a potentially pivotal, if complex, ally in resolving major global conflicts, from Ukraine to Gaza.

President Trump, who has recently adopted a much tougher public stance on the Ukraine war, made it clear that he sees Türkiye's economic relationship with Russia as a key pressure point.

According to a Fox News report from the Oval Office, Trump set his sights on Erdogan as he intensifies his demands for NATO allies to cut off the revenue streams funding President Vladimir Putin's war effort. "I think he could have a big influence if he wants to," Trump said of his Turkish counterpart.

"The best thing he could do is not buy oil and gas from Russia... I'd like to have him stop buying any oil from Russia. While Russia continues this rampage against Ukraine. Disgraceful." Türkiye, as noted by Fox News, is currently Russia's third-largest oil importer, trailing only India and China.

The meeting marked a notable thaw in relations between Washington and Ankara after a frosty four years under the Biden administration, which, according to The Washington Post, kept Erdogan at arm's length over concerns about his domestic policies and refusal to sanction Moscow. Trump, however, has long cultivated a warm rapport with the Turkish leader.

"We’ve been friends for a long time," Trump said, before adding a characteristic aside about his own political fortunes. "He knows about rigged elections better than anybody," Trump remarked, in a comment carried by both The Washington Post and Agence France-Presse (AFP). Describing Erdogan as a "tough man" and "highly opinionated," Trump added, "Usually, I don't like opinionated people, but I always like this one."

This personal affinity is underpinned by a strategic calculation. As The Washington Post reported, Trump views Erdogan as a valuable go-between who could help resolve the wars in both Ukraine and Gaza.

The two leaders have also found common ground on Syria, where the new Turkish-backed leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has been actively normalizing relations with the West. Erdogan, for his part, offered supportive words for Trump's recent diplomatic push to end the conflict in Gaza, where the Turkish leader has been a sharp critic of Israel's actions.

"I believe in the peace efforts that President Trump is leading, and together we will be able to overcome the challenges in the region," Erdogan said, according to The Washington Post.

The central transactional element of the summit revolved around the F-35 fighter jets. Türkiye was expelled from the cutting-edge program during Trump's first term after Ankara's controversial purchase of Russia's S-400 air defense system.

The Pentagon and NATO allies feared that operating both systems simultaneously could allow Moscow to gather sensitive intelligence on the F-35's stealth capabilities. Erdogan has long bristled at the exclusion, telling Fox News in an interview this week that he didn't think it was "very becoming of strategic partnership."

During their meeting on Thursday, Trump appeared ready to negotiate a reversal. While stopping short of a definitive commitment, he strongly hinted that a deal was within reach, potentially linking it to Türkiye's stance on Russian oil.

"I think you’ll be successful with buying the things you’d like to buy," Trump told Erdogan at the outset of their meeting, as reported by The Washington Post.

According to Fox News, he later added, "He needs certain things, and we need certain things, and we're going to come to a conclusion by the end of the day." The AFP report further detailed Trump's position, noting that he said he was ready to lift sanctions imposed on Ankara over the S-400 purchase if the meeting went well.

Following their two-hour discussion, Trump signaled that significant progress had been made, though he did not provide immediate specifics.

"We'll be announcing that sometime later, and he'll be making an announcement too," Trump told reporters, according to AFP. He added that U.S. sanctions on Türkiye's defense sector could be lifted "almost immediately." This potential breakthrough on the F-35s represents a major diplomatic prize for Erdogan and a significant strategic shift for the U.S.

The summit's agenda, as Trump told reporters, was dominated by "war" and "trade." While the focus was on Ukraine and the F-35s, the broader economic relationship was also a key topic.

Türkiye is Russia's fourth-largest trading partner, with exchanges totaling $52 billion last year, largely in fossil fuels and electronics, according to Europe's Bruegel institute, as cited by AFP.

Trump has threatened secondary tariffs against countries that continue to purchase Russian oil, a measure already applied to India. While Türkiye has so far been spared, Trump indicated that tariffs were on the day's agenda.

Ultimately, the meeting highlighted Trump's transactional and personality-driven approach to foreign policy, embracing a leader shunned by his predecessor in the belief that personal relationships can break diplomatic logjams.

By dangling the coveted F-35 jets as a powerful incentive, Trump is betting that he can persuade Erdogan to align more closely with the West on the critical issue of Ukraine, thereby tightening the economic vise on Moscow. As the world awaits a formal announcement on the outcome of their "very conclusive" talks, the potential for a major realignment in the strategic triangle connecting Washington, Ankara, and Moscow hangs in the balance.