Trump to welcome Turkish President Erdogan at White House for talks

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Donald Trump will welcome Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House on Thursday.

The leaders will meet for a bilateral Oval Office meeting followed by a working lunch.

They are expected to discuss bilateral ties, including in trade, investment and the defense industry, along with regional issues.

Their meeting comes at a pivotal time. Instability is growing in the Middle East as Israel's attacks in the Gaza Strip drag on, despite rising global calls for a political solution to the Palestinian question.

"I believe our meeting with President Trump will contribute to ending wars and conflicts in our region within the framework of our shared vision of global peace and will further strengthen the cooperation between our countries," Erdogan said previously.

Erdogan was in New York to attend this year's session of the UN General Assembly and arrived in Washington, DC on Wednesday.

During his stay in New York, he took part in a reception Tuesday hosted by Trump and first lady Melania Trump in honor of heads of state and their spouses.

Separately, on Tuesday Erdogan, together with Trump, attended a multilateral meeting on Gaza on the sidelines of the General Assembly.

While in the nation's capital, Erdogan is staying at Blair House, the US president’s official guest residence.