Turkish President Erdogan arrives in Washington for meeting with Trump

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday arrived in Washington, DC for talks with Donald Trump, his US counterpart.

Trump will welcome Erdogan on Thursday at the White House, where they will discuss bilateral relations and regional issues.

Issues such as trade, investment, and the defense industry are expected to be discussed.

"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, who was in New York to attend this year's session of the UN General Assembly, took part in a reception on 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.

No further information on the closed-door meeting was shared, but Erdogan said afterwards that the talks were "very productive and positive," expressing his satisfaction.

“We have just concluded a very, very productive and positive meeting. I’m satisfied — may the outcome be beneficial," Erdogan told reporters in front of the Turkish House, the multi-story Turkish diplomatic hub in New York.

While in Washington, DC, Erdogan will stay at Blair House, the US president’s official guest residence.