Turkish parliament official says talks at US Congress ‘highly productive’

WASHINGTON

Fuat Oktay, chair of the Turkish parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, said meetings held in the US Congress were “highly productive.”

“It was a highly productive, focused meeting,” Oktay told Turkish media, following talks in Washington with members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives. They visited Brian Mast, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Jim Risch, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he added.

He noted that discussions with the committee chairs covered both regional and bilateral issues on the agenda, adding: “Based on the topics we discussed, we were pleased to observe a positive agenda and a positive approach toward Türkiye.”

Referring to the positive relationship between US President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Oktay emphasized that this was reflected at the governmental level.

In response to the KAAN fighter jet issue, Oktay stated, "We hope this matter will be resolved in the near future with a more positive approach," adding that they also observed a positive approach regarding CAATSA sanctions, which refer to the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, a US federal law that imposed sanctions on Iran, North Korea, and Russia.

Positive momentum in US-Türkiye relations

Oktay underlined the results Washington and Ankara can achieve when working together in the region, saying Türkiye, as a regional power, has a voice in global issues and that Erdogan’s leadership diplomacy contributes positively to bilateral ties.

He pointed out that advances in both the economy and defense industry have strengthened Türkiye’s position, and that they saw the foreign policy reflections of this “more clearly” during the meetings.

“Many areas have emerged beyond the Middle East, including developments in Europe and Asia, where we can act together with the US,” Oktay said, adding that the House Foreign Affairs Committee chair could visit Türkiye this year with his delegation.

*Writing by Asiye Latife Yilmaz from Istanbul