Turkish President Erdogan says he may visit US, hopes to meet Trump

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he may visit the United States and hopes to hold a face-to-face meeting with US President Donald Trump.

Speaking to reporters on his return flight from Hungary on Thursday, following an informal summit of the Organization of Turkic States in Budapest, Erdogan discussed a range of foreign policy issues, including Syria and the war in Gaza.

Erdogan welcomed recent international moves to lift sanctions on Syria, calling it “a crucial step toward stability” in the war-torn country and saying it reflects the success of Türkiye's “constructive diplomacy.”

Regarding the integration of YPG, the Syrian offshoot of the PKK terror group, into the new Syrian framework, he said Türkiye is closely monitoring the situation. “It's crucial that the Damascus government stays focused on this,” he added.

Meanwhile, the US State Department highlighted a “new era of partnership” in Türkiye-US relations following a meeting Tuesday of the Türkiye-US Syria Working Group in Washington, DC.

A joint statement issued after the Syria Working Group meeting said Türkiye and the US are committed to increasing cooperation and coordination on stability and security in Syria as outlined by Erdogan and Trump.

On the war in Gaza, Erdogan said Israel is becoming increasingly isolated on the world stage due to its actions and pointed to what he called a “growing awakening” in Europe against Israeli actions -- though he noted that such a shift had come late.

“History will hold accountable those who fail the test of Gaza,” Erdogan added. “Türkiye has stood firmly with humanity and human dignity, and will continue to do so.”

He described the Gaza crisis as more than a humanitarian disaster, calling it “a test of the international system's sincerity,” and said Western institutions “have failed that test.”

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the army has pursued a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing nearly 53,700 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.