Delicious allies: Trump urges Erdogan to avoid Russian energy

US President Donald Trump has asked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to fully avoid energy from Russia. “I want him to no longer buy oil from Russia” as long as Russia continues his war against Ukraine, the Republican said at a meeting with Erdogan in the Oval Office of the White House in front of journalists. Erdogan should also do without gas from Russia, says Trump.

In the past, relationships between the United States and Turkey were sometimes tense – because of the situation in the former civil war country of Syria or the human rights situation in Turkey. Despite great differences, for example, Trump overwhelmed the Turkish president with praise. He limited criticism to economic relationships with Russia. The subsequent talks ended after about two hours.

Türkiye continues to rely on Russian gas and oil

Turkey maintains close relationships with Russia and Ukraine, but rejects Western sanctions against Moscow. According to the Turkish Energy Market Regulatory Authority, 66 percent of all Turkish oil imports from Russia came in 2024, and gas was 41 percent. So far, the country has not revealed it. Trump is a thorn in the side.

The energy transactions are an important source of income for the financing of the war for Russia. Russia has been waging a war against Ukraine for more than three and a half years. Trump had recently asked the EU to hire the energy trade with Russia.

Erdogan has been in the White House for the first time since 2019. For the controversial Turkish president, the reception is tangible political capital. He can also hope for a lifting of US sanctions against the Turkish defense industry. The punitive measures imposed by Trump 2020 were a reaction to the Turkish acquisition of the Russian air defense system S -400 – from Washington’s point of view, an incompatible security risk for NATO.

Ankara was subsequently excluded from a project for the development of the f-35 fighter jet and with sanctions. The punitive measures could be “almost immediately” canceled if there is a good meeting. At the same time, a billion-dollar business through new F-16 machines is already on the way.

Trump attested Erdogan “excellent work”

Trump admired himself several times during the meeting about Erdogan. Despite the procedure against the Turkish opposition, Trump said: “He does an excellent job in his country”. One has an excellent relationship to each other.

Opposition politicians have been arrested in Turkey for months. Ekrem Imamoglu, a promising challenger from Erdogan in a future presidential election, has been in custody for six months. He was arrested on March 19 due to allegations of terrorism and corruption and was later discontinued as mayor of Istanbul. His arrest triggered mass protests in Turkey.

However, Trump’s remark at the beginning of the conversation caught your eye: his long -time friend Erdogan knew more about “fake elections” than anyone else. Whether he addressed Erdogan as a victim or maybe as a string puller remained open. The US ambassador in Turkey, Tom Barrack, had recently described the country as “in a way authoritarian”.

A central conflict point of the two was not publicly discussed: While Trump is close to the side of Israel, Erdogan is sharply approaching Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Before the UN General Assembly in New York, Erdogan once again accused the Israeli government of genocide and the targeted expulsion of the Palestinians.

Erdogan sees himself as a advocate of the Palestinians in the Muslim world. He also maintains good relationships with the Islamist Hamas, against which Israel wages war in the Gaza Strip. Members of the terrorist group are also said to be in Turkey.

On the agenda there was also a possible large order from Turkish Airlines at the US aircraft manufacturer Boeing. The opposition accused Erdogan of bought the meeting with Trump with a 300-machine deal-which he rejected.