President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who returned to Türkiye after his meetings, attended a number of gatherings, including the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly in the United States, and had significant discussions with heads of state and high-ranking officials from international organisations.
President Erdoğan attended the Türkiye Investment Conference, held in a sectoral roundtable format, organised by the Türkiye-US Business Council on September 22, while in New York City to participate in the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly.
During the conference, President Erdoğan stated that they see energy and defence industry cooperation with the US as priority areas, saying, "The 100-billion-dollar trade volume goal, which we set with my treasured friend Mr. Trump in 2019, continues to be our common goal."
President Erdoğan also attended the High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution held at the UN.
At the conference, which was co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France, President Erdoğan said, "I congratulate all the countries that have decided to recognise the State of Palestine. I hope that this step, along with the initiatives to be undertaken in the coming period, will accelerate the implementation of a two-state solution. We, as Türkiye, will determinedly continue our efforts until the establishment of a State of Palestine based on the 1967 borders with territorial integrity and al-Quds as its capital."
President Erdoğan first met with the President of the European Council, António Costa, as part of his bilateral meetings.
Later, he met with Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada. During a meeting where bilateral relations and regional and global issues were discussed, President Erdoğan stated that Türkiye and Canada, as important NATO allies, play a significant role in the security of the Euro-Atlantic region.
President Erdoğan underlined that there is significant potential for cooperation, particularly in the fields of energy and the defence industry, and noted that efforts are being made to seize these opportunities and foster relations. He underlined that enhancing bilateral contacts in the coming period would contribute to reinforcing cooperation.
During the meeting, President Erdoğan welcomed Canada's recognition of Palestine as a state and congratulated Prime Minister Carney.
President Erdoğan also met with Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah of Kuwait.
During the meeting that covered bilateral relations between the two countries as well as regional and global issues, President Erdoğan said that it is critical to foster relations between Türkiye and Kuwait in many areas, particularly trade, and that they will keep working to strengthen their cooperation.
President Erdoğan emphasised the importance of continuing discussions to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, highlighting the need for Islamic nations to unite against Israel's massacres on Palestinian territory.
President Erdoğan announced that Türkiye will continue to support Syria and that it is crucial to concentrate on development and reconstruction based on maintaining Syria's territorial integrity.
President Erdoğan attended a dinner hosted by the Turkish-American National Steering Committee and met with Turkish citizens living in the US.
President Erdoğan stated in his speech, "We continue our efforts to advance Turkish-American relations on the basis of alliance and strategic partnership. During President Trump’s second term in office, our engagements with all levels of the administration and the constructive dialogue between our institutions have begun to gain momentum."
President Erdoğan addressed world leaders from the UN rostrum
On the second day of his visit to New York, President Erdoğan addressed the UN General Assembly.
President Erdoğan spoke extensively about Palestine and the ongoing genocide in Gaza during his address to the UN General Assembly. Syria, the war between Russia and Ukraine, the recognition of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and unresolved issues in other parts of the world were among the topics on President Erdoğan's agenda.
In his address at the UN General Assembly, President Erdoğan said:
"There is no war in Gaza. There can be no talk of two belligerent parties in Gaza. In Gaza, on one side, there is a regular army equipped with the most modern, most lethal weapons, and on the other side, there are innocent civilians, innocent children. Israel does not confine itself to Gaza and the West Bank but threatens also regional peace by launching attacks on Syria, Iran, Yemen, and Lebanon."
During his address to world leaders, President Erdoğan used photographs to depict the genocide in Gaza and appealed, "The day is today. Today is the day. Today is the day to stand upright by the oppressed Palestinians in the name of humanity. While your people react against the barbarism in Gaza, have the courage to follow through. Fulfil your duty to humanity towards Gaza, where children are raising children."
Following his address to the UN General Assembly, President Erdoğan met with Secretary-General António Guterres of the United Nations.
During the meeting, regional and global issues, particularly Israel's attacks on Gaza, were discussed. President Erdoğan stated that the need for reform within the UN system has become increasingly evident in recent years, adding that Türkiye will continue to contribute in every possible way to forthcoming efforts and that the importance of safeguarding global peace has become clearer through the challenges the world has faced in recent years.
President Erdoğan met with Chairman Mohammad Al-Manfi of the Presidential Council of Libya.
During the meeting, which addressed bilateral relations and regional issues, President Erdoğan stated that Türkiye aims to ensure lasting stability, security, and unity in Libya and will continue to support the country in achieving these goals.
President Erdoğan attended the meeting on Gaza with Trump
President Erdoğan attended a meeting on Gaza held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, which was also attended by President Donald Trump of the US.
At the closed-door meeting held at the UN headquarters, heads of state or government representing Indonesia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Pakistan, Egypt, Türkiye, and the United States were also present.
President Erdoğan also attended a meeting coordinated by SETA with representatives of U.S. think tanks, and on the final day of his visit to New York, he met with Hamdi Ulukaya, Chairman of the Türkiye-U.S. Business Council, along with senior executives from leading American companies.
Meeting with President al-Sharaa of Syria
President Erdoğan also met with President Ahmed al-Sharaa, the Syrian leader who spoke at the UN after many years, at Türkevi Centre (Turkish House).
During the meeting, President Erdoğan stated that they expect all sanctions against Syria to be lifted as soon as possible and that Türkiye takes a positive approach to all initiatives based on and aiming at Syria's territorial integrity and sovereignty.
President Erdoğan emphasised that the terrorist organisation SDF must comply with the March 10 Agreement, stating that Türkiye is closely monitoring all developments in the region and that support for Syria will continue to increase.
President Erdoğan met with Macron
President Erdoğan also met with President Emmanuel Macron of France at the United Nations Headquarters.
The meeting addressed bilateral relations between Türkiye and France, as well as regional and global issues. During the meeting, President Erdoğan stated that dialogue with France is important for Türkiye and that they will continue to make efforts to strengthen cooperation in many areas, particularly trade, energy, and the defence industry.
President Erdoğan emphasised Türkiye's determination to revitalise and advance its relations with the European Union, noting that it would be beneficial to activate the necessary mechanisms as soon as possible.
President Erdoğan stated that Türkiye was making every effort to secure a fair and lasting peace between Russia and Ukraine and that they wished to advance the negotiations taking place in Istanbul with a result-oriented approach.
President Erdoğan congratulated Macron on France's decision to recognise Palestine as a state, emphasising that increasing international pressure on the Netanyahu administration for a two-state solution could yield results and that continued communication between Türkiye and France on this path was important.
UN Climate Summit
President Erdoğan also attended the UN Climate Summit. In his speech, President Erdoğan stated that with the policies they will implement in the economy, they aim to achieve a reduction of 466 million tonnes in emissions by 2035 and to lower their total emissions to 643 million tonnes. President Erdoğan stated that, as of this year, they have increased the share of renewable energy in the total installed capacity to over 60 per cent.
As part of his bilateral engagements, President Erdoğan met with President Luong Cuong of Vietnam, where he stated that Türkiye is making significant efforts to establish a just and lasting peace in Gaza and noted with appreciation that Vietnam has stood on the right side of history regarding the Palestinian issue.
Concluding his engagements in New York with this meeting, President Erdoğan departed for Washington to hold talks with President Trump of the US.
President Erdoğan-Trump meeting
President Erdoğan met with President Trump at the White House. The meeting between President Erdoğan and President Trump lasted two hours and 20 minutes. President Erdoğan also signed the White House Guest Book.
In his statement prior to his one-on-one meeting with Trump, President Erdoğan conveyed the message that they would overcome the problems in the region by working together, saying:
"I think that we will find an opportunity to thoroughly discuss the issues of F-35s, F-16s and our relations regarding Halkbank. We are already prepared to do whatever falls within our responsibility regarding the Heybeliada School (Halki Seminary). Once I return, I will have the chance to discuss this matter with Patriarch Bartholomew. Just as we did during Mr. Trump’s first term, we are going through a very distinct period in the Türkiye-U.S. relations in his second term as well. I believe that we will overcome the problems in the region together, hand in hand."
During the meeting, in the presence of President Erdoğan and US President Trump, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Civil Nuclear Cooperation, which will deepen the partnership between Türkiye and the US in the field of nuclear energy.
