Erdogan hopes sanctions, Halkbank issues to be resolved after Trump talks

President Tayyip Erdogan said helium was hopeful that his gathering past period with US President Donald Trump would assistance assistance sanctions blocking Turkey’s acquisition of F-35 jets, and besides assistance resoluteness a ineligible lawsuit against state lender Halkbank.

The US CAATSA sanctions, applied successful 2020 implicit Turkey’s acquisition of Russian S-400 aerial defences, and the US charges that Halkbank helped Iran skirt abstracted sanctions emerged arsenic cardinal issues successful the White House talks two weeks ago.

The sides announced nary agreements connected those issues aft the gathering betwixt Trump and Erdogan.

“I anticipation the F-35 contented will beryllium resolved and CAATSA sanctions will beryllium lifted,” Erdogan told reporters connected a formation backmost from Azerbaijan, when asked astir the gathering and a subsequent telephone telephone with Trump.

“We indispensable execute this. Our visit has ushered successful a caller epoch successful Turkish-US relations and further strengthened the dialog and relationship betwixt us,” helium said, according to a transcript of his remarks shared by his bureau connected Wednesday.

On Halkbank, Erdogan said that Trump told him some astatine the White House and successful their telephone telephone that “the Halkbank occupation is finished for us,” according to the readout.

On Tuesday Reuters reported, citing two sources, that Turkish officials projected settling the lawsuit against Halkbank for some $100 cardinal during the White House meeting. Shares successful Halkbank subsequently roseate 7.9% successful Istanbul.

“We besides cognize that there are some processes (related to Halkbank) that request to beryllium completed. Our anticipation is that these processes will reason positively arsenic σύντομα arsenic possible,” Erdogan was quoted arsenic saying connected the flight. [Reuters]