Türkiye to work to bring US, Russian leaders together in Istanbul: President Erdogan

ISTANBUL / ANKARA

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that Türkiye will work to bring US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin together in Istanbul as part of ongoing negotiations aimed at resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“This week, by holding talks with Putin and Trump, we will strive to see if we can bring these leaders together in Istanbul,” Erdogan told reporters after Friday prayer in Istanbul.

On Wednesday, Moscow and Kyiv held their third round of talks in Istanbul. The sides exchanged proposals for the future development of the peace process.

Speaking about the 17th International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF) 2025 in Istanbul, Erdogan said: “The progress achieved by IDEF in the defense industry holds a distinct place on the global stage.”

“We have also started receiving substantial orders, and those orders are continuing at full pace,” Erdogan said.

“In the defense industry, you first need to establish yourself in a very unique position,” Erdogan said, adding: “If you fail to secure that position, you simply cannot sustain this struggle successfully on the world stage.”

“When we took office, our defense industry had a potential of around $20 billion, but now it has reached a potential of around $80 billion, and hopefully, we will become even stronger,” Erdogan stressed.

The 17th edition of the six-day IDEF defense fair, which started Tuesday, is being held simultaneously at the Istanbul Fair Center, Ataturk Airport, WOW Hotel, and Atakoy Marina.

Organized by KFA Fairs with support from Türkiye’s Defense Industries Secretariat and the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation, Anadolu serves as the event’s global communication partner.