Quote The American and Turkish peoples have been friends and allies for many, many decades.

ENGAGING ON CRITICAL ISSUES: President Donald J. Trump is working to advance America’s important relationship with Turkey.

Today, President Trump welcomed President Erdogan at the White House for bilateral discussions on a range of important issues.

Direct engagement and diplomacy between our nations are essential to addressing the challenges facing the United States-Turkey bilateral relationship.

Turkey’s cooperation is crucial to protecting United States interests in the region and beyond.

The United States-Turkey relationship has benefitted both of our countries for more than 90 years.

A CRITICAL NATO ALLY: Turkey is a critical NATO Ally, and our continued cooperation is important for American interests in the region and beyond.

The United States and Turkey work together on numerous security issues in the Middle East and around the globe.

Within NATO, Turkey has the second largest armed forces and has raised its defense spending with the goal of reaching its 2 percent of GDP minimum obligation.

Turkey has been a critical partner in the fight to annihilate the ISIS caliphate. Turkey’s continued engagement remains essential in ensuring ISIS is never allowed to reconstitute.

Turkey continues to make important contributions to NATO’s Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan.

Turkey is a significant partner for foreign military sales, which total in the billions of dollars. Turkey is not only a purchaser of American military equipment, but it is a supplier of component parts for dozens of critical United States and NATO defense programs.

In order to achieve progress on other fronts, it is vital that we resolve the issues involving Turkey’s purchase of the Russian S-400 air defense system, strengthening our defense partnership.

GROWING AND BALANCING ECONOMIC TIES: President Trump is working to expand commerce and achieve fair and balanced trade between the United States and Turkey.