Turkish Finance Minister Berat Albayrak held talks with US President Donald Trump on Monday about Ankara’s contentious deal to purchase the S-400 air defense missile system from Russia.
“During our meetings, where we discussed steps to increase our cooperation, we were received by US President Donald Trump. We passed on the greetings and messages of our president,” Albayrak wrote on Twitter on Tuesday.
“He listened in a very reasonable way with a positive understanding to the process regarding Turkey’s needs for the S-400s,” broadcaster CNN Turk cited him as telling reporters. “There was a very positive, constructive conversation.”
Ankara’s plan to buy the S-400 system has fueled tensions between the NATO allies and Washington has said Ankara could face sanctions over the issue.
Turkey’s Defense Minister Hulusi Akar called on Monday for issues be resolved through dialogue.
Albayrak, who is Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s son-in-law, said he met on Monday Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and White House adviser Jared Kushner, who is Trump’s son-in-law.
Albayrak was also cited as saying there were discussions at the meetings on increasing bilateral trade between the United States and Turkey to $75 billion annually from $20 billion currently.
Akar said Monday that Turkey’s purchase of the Russian system must not trigger US sanctions.
He also said that Turkey expected to remain not just a buyer of F-35 stealth fighter jets but also a partner in its production, despite US warnings that it would be shut out of the F-35 project if it buys the S-400 system.
The United States says it will not allow F-35s to operate alongside the Russian defense system.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said last week that Washington had told Ankara it could face retribution for buying the S-400s under a sanctions law known as CAATSA.
Akar repeated Turkey’s offer to hold technical talks with the United States to address “technical concerns” over the S-400 purchase.
