Two Dictators United: The Surprising Agenda Behind Trump’s Washington Meeting With Erdogan
- Cloud 9 News
- Sep 25
- 3 min read
Washington, D.C. – 25 September 2025 - President Donald Trump welcomed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the White House on Thursday for high-stakes talks, with the revival of a multibillion-dollar U.S. fighter jet sale topping the agenda amid efforts to mend strained NATO alliances and counter Russian influence. The meeting, Erdogan's first visit to the Oval Office since 2019, underscored Trump's push for a "reset" in U.S.-Turkey relations, blending arms deals with warnings over Ankara's purchases of Russian oil.
At the forefront of discussions was the long-delayed $23 billion package for 40 new F-16 Block 70 fighter jets and modernization kits for Turkey's existing fleet, initially approved by the Biden administration in January 2024 after Turkey ratified Sweden's NATO membership.Trump, who has historically championed arms sales to allies, hinted at accelerating the deal—recently scaled back by Turkey in November 2024 when it dropped plans for 79 upgrade kits—and floated lifting the longstanding U.S. ban on Turkey's participation in the F-35 program, from which Ankara was ousted in 2019 over its acquisition of Russian S-400 air defense systems.
"This is a tremendous opportunity for Turkey to get the best jets in the world and strengthen our partnership against common threats," Trump told reporters after a private lunch with Erdogan, flanked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Erdogan, in turn, praised the "constructive dialogue," adding that the jets would bolster Turkey's defenses along its borders with Syria and Iraq, where Kurdish forces—long a point of friction with Washington—remain active.
The F-16 talks come against a backdrop of geopolitical maneuvering. Turkey's request for the jets dates back to October 2021, but progress stalled due to congressional holds over human rights concerns and Turkey's rocky relations with NATO partners like Greece, which simultaneously received approval for 20 F-35 stealth fighters in a balancing act by the U.S. Reviving the full package could inject billions into U.S. defense contractors like Lockheed Martin, while signaling Trump's willingness to overlook past tensions in favor of deal-making.
Beyond arms, Trump pressed Erdogan to curb imports of Russian oil, a sanctions workaround that has irked Washington since Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. "Recep, we're friends—stop buying that Russian crude, and we'll make great deals," Trump said, according to a White House readout, suggesting the oil halt could pave the way for F-35 reinstatement.The leaders also touched on broader Middle East issues, including Trump's newly pitched 21-point peace plan for the region, a potential Gaza ceasefire, and countering Iran's nuclear ambitions—topics where Turkey's influence as a Sunni power could prove pivotal.
The bromance between the two dictators, often described as a "revived partnership," harks back to Trump's first term, when he hosted Erdogan multiple times despite controversies like the 2019 White House clash over Kurdish operations.Analysts see the meeting as a win for bilateral ties, potentially boosting U.S.-Turkey cooperation on Ukraine by easing drone export restrictions and stabilizing energy markets.
Yet, the agenda drew bipartisan skepticism in Congress. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), a Trump ally, voiced support for the jets but cautioned against rushing F-35 access without ironclad assurances on S-400 dismantlement. Democrats, led by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Ben Cardin, decried the talks as "too cozy," warning they could embolden Erdogan's crackdowns on dissidents and undermine U.S. leverage with Kurdish allies in Syria.Greek officials, monitoring from Athens, expressed alarm over any F-35 thaw, fearing it would tilt the Aegean balance.
As the delegations wrapped up with a joint press availability, optimism lingered. "We've got big things ahead—jets, trade, peace," Trump declared, while Erdogan nodded in agreement. The fighter jet deal's final contours could emerge in weeks, pending congressional review, but Thursday's summit marked a thaw in a relationship long chilled by mutual distrust.
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