WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump suggested the US could lift sanctions on Turkiye and allow it to buy US F-35 jets as he kicked off talks with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, but said he wanted Ankara to stop purchases of Russian oil. Erdogan’s first visit to the White House in about six years comes at a time when Ankara is keen to take advantage of a US administration eager to make deals in return for big-ticket arms and trade agreements. Seated side by side in the Oval Office, Trump called Erdogan a “very tough man” and said he would like to see Turkiye stop purchases of Russian oil.

Turkey was excluded from the F-35 development program in 2019, when it opted to purchase Russia’s S-400 air defense systems

U.S. officials have cited concerns about Turkey's human rights record under Erdogan and the country's ties with Russia.