ISTANBUL 

Türkiye is in consultations with US President Donald Trump and his team on regional developments, especially the crisis in Gaza, the Russia-Ukraine war and Syria, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday.

In Trump’s second term, "our contacts are intensified and institutional dialogue gained momentum," he said during his speech at a dinner hosted by the Turkish American National Steering Committee (TASC) in New York City.

Announcing that he will meet with Trump on Thursday, President Erdogan said they will have the chance to discuss many important issues during his visit.

"Thanks to my long-standing friendship with Trump, we developed a mutual will to resolve certain issues on our agenda," he added.

He also expressed his belief that the strength of the Muslim community in the US will be a "source of confidence and courage for all Muslims around the world."

Noting the current environment, “where polarization is taking place across various fields, from diplomacy and security to the economy and technology,” President Erdogan underlined the importance of the solidarity between Ankara and Washington, calling the ties “more indispensable than ever.”

“We continue our efforts to advance Turkish-American relations based on alliance and strategic partnership. Cooperation between our countries is diversifying and deepening in many areas such as security, trade, investments, energy and education,” he added.

Touching on US Ambassador to Türkiye Tom Barrack’s significant contributions to this “atmosphere with his sincere efforts,” Erdogan said that Türkiye is determined to increase the bilateral trade volume to $100 billion and boost mutual investments.

In his speech, President Erdogan particularly drew attention to the alarming rise of Islamophobia and cultural racism around the world in recent times.

As Türkiye continues to speak the truth, defend peace and justice in its region and stand up for the oppressed -- especially in Gaza -- the number of campaigns aimed at silencing and intimidating both Türkiye and himself has increased, said President Erdogan.

Ankara will neither give in to such campaigns nor will it “ever bow to pressure,” he added.

"Anyone who expects Tayyip Erdogan or Türkiye to tolerate oppression or remain silent in the face of massacres is wasting their time.

“No power, lobby or disinformation campaign can stop us from boldly speaking the truth,” he added.