US Ambassador to Ankara Tom Barrack signaled that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and US President Donald Trump “could” meet in New York during the upcoming United Nations General Assembly.
Asked by reporters during a 4th of July event in Istanbul whether a bilateral meeting would occur during the UN General Assembly, Barrack emphasized the close relationship between the two leaders.
'President Trump and President Erdogan are friends, so it could happen,' Barrack said.
Official details regarding the timing and agenda of a potential meeting remain unconfirmed.
The two leaders last met on July 7, 2026, during the NATO Leaders Summit in Ankara. Trump was welcomed at the Presidential Complex with a full state ceremony, marking the first official reception for an American president in Turkey in 17 years.
Their previous bilateral discussions covered F-35 fighter jets, CAATSA sanctions, engines for Turkey's national fighter jet KAAN, defense cooperation, trade, Syria, and the war in Ukraine.
Erdoğan is expected to travel to New York for the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, on Sept. 20. According to the provisional speakers' list, Brazil will open the general debate as usual, followed by the United States, Jordan, and Turkey.
CENTENNIAL GALA SPARKS JOINT APPEARANCE SPECULATION
Speculation is also growing over a potential joint appearance at a high-profile diplomatic event in New York.
Journalist Ertuğrul Özkök reported that both leaders might attend a gala on Sept. 21 at New York’s famous venue Cipriani, organized by the US Chamber of Commerce, the Turkey-US Business Council (TAİK), and Chobani founder Hamdi Ulukaya alongside his spouse, Louise Ulukaya, to mark 100 years of Turkish-American relations.
'My guess is if they attend, they will attend together,' Özkök said. 'It would not look proper for only one president to attend a bilateral celebration.'
Neither government has formally confirmed participation in the centennial reception.
