US President Donald Trump has urged Turkey to stop buying oil from Russia, part of a wider drive to cut off Moscow's energy funding as the war in Ukraine rages on.
Speaking alongside President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House, Trump said halting those imports would be the best thing his Turkish counterpart could do.
The Oval Office meeting ended without any firm commitments to lift US sanctions on Turkey or sell advanced F-35 fighter jets, although Trump expressed optimism about both issues.
Turkey has for years been prevented from buying US F-35s. In 2019 it was expelled from a programme where it produced parts for the warplane after it acquired air defence systems from Russia.
During a brief question-and-answer session alongside Erdogan in the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump said he would like Turkey to stop buying any oil from Russia while Russia continues its rampage against Ukraine.
The best thing he could do is not buy oil and gas from Russia, Trump said. If he did that, that would be the best thing.
Trump added that he believes Erdogan is respected both by Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, meaning that he could have a big influence on the war if he wants to.
Turkey, alongside India and China, remains one of Moscow's biggest customers for oil and gas exports.
The US president's comments come just weeks after he stated he stood poised to impose tougher sanctions on Russia if NATO countries halted imports of Russian oil.
Earlier this week, during a lengthy speech at the UN General Assembly, Trump accused NATO allies of frequently funding the war against themselves through their purchases of energy from Moscow.
During Trump's first term in office, the US removed Turkey from the F-35 programme after it purchased S-400 surface-to-air missile systems from Russia. A US defense bill passed in 2020 included an amendment that prevents Turkey from acquiring F-35s unless the US government certifies that Turkey has abandoned the Russian S-400.
Some US lawmakers have expressed concerns about the potential sale due to Turkey's military incursions into Syria and past violations of Greek airspace.
Despite these political hurdles, Trump conveyed confidence to Erdogan, stating he would be successful in procuring the items he desires and emphasized the need for mutual concessions.
Trump mentioned that sanctions against Turkey, implemented in 2020 following the S-400 purchase, could be lifted very soon if productive discussions take place.
