AKP Chairman and President Tayyip Erdoğan, who is attending the 80th General Assembly of the United Nations (UN), arrived in Washington from New York for his meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House.
While journalists were expected to ask questions to the two leaders in the Oval Office, a last-minute change occurred.
It was learned that the meeting between Trump and Erdoğan was closed to the press at the last minute.
According to a report by Hüseyin Günay from NTV, the meeting was closed to the press due to a last-minute change.
It is noted that the meeting may be opened to the press later, and that such a decision may have been made due to consultations between delegations because of the UN.
Hüseyin Günay stated, “The Erdoğan-Trump meeting appears to be closed to the press in the programme shared by the White House. My experience suggests that it will be reopened to the press at the last minute. This is because Trump has opened 99 out of 100 meetings that were previously closed to the press. Even though it is written in the programme, I think it will be open to the press and that journalists will be able to enter and ask questions. This is sometimes due to rapid planning and sometimes due to delegations being unable to consult in dynamic processes such as the UN.”
The programme for the Erdoğan-Trump summit was as follows:
18:00 Welcome by Trump
18:15 Q&A with journalists in the Oval Office
18:45 Working dinner
19:45 Erdoğan leaves the White House
MAIN AGENDA WILL BE GAZA
It is expected that the two leaders will discuss issues such as trade, investment and the defence industry during the meeting at the White House, which is reported to be closed to the press.
It is also expected that topics such as the F-35 file, Syria, the occupation of Gaza, and the Russia-Ukraine war will be discussed during the meeting.
SANCTIONS TO BE DISCUSSED
The meeting between Trump and Erdoğan is also expected to address the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) imposed by the US due to Turkey’s purchase of the S-400 from Russia.
Although Erdoğan tried to deny the aircraft purchase, Trump announced in his message at the beginning of the week that he would be meeting with Erdoğan, stating, “We are working on many commercial and military deals with President [Erdoğan]. These include a large-scale purchase of Boeing aircraft, a significant F-16 agreement, and the continuation of F-35 negotiations, which we expect to have a positive outcome.”
The issue of Turkey’s purchase of aircraft from Boeing has been on the agenda for about two years.
***
ERDOĞAN KEPT WAITING ON THE ROAD
Erdoğan, who was in the US to attend the United Nations General Assembly, was kept waiting on the pavement by police and Trump’s security guards as Trump’s convoy passed by. French President Emmanuel Macron was also stopped by New York police during Trump’s passage.
Source: Trump ve Erdoğan görüşmesi: Son anda basına kapatıldı