Turkey and the United States have been working on a possible visit of U.S. President Donald Trump to Turkey, local media reported Wednesday citing Turkish presidential sources.
“We are working on alternative dates including July for Trump’s visit,” Turkish presidential sources were quoted as saying on condition of anonymity.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a phone conversation with Trump on Monday amid tensions between the two NATO allies over Turkey’s purchase of Russian S-400 defense systems.
Their discussion was followed by a phone conversation between foreign policy aides of the two presidents, Ibrahim Kalin and John Bolton, on Wednesday.
They discussed the S-400 air defense system and Trump’s visit to Turkey, presidential sources said.
Tensions between Ankara and Washington have intensified recently as Turkey is set to receive the Russian surface-to-air missile system, which Washington says will jeopardize Ankara’s role in the F-35 fighter jet program and could trigger U.S. congressional sanctions.