Erdogan calls for Türkiye and US to move past barriers, build new momentum in ties

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on Türkiye and the United States to move past long-standing barriers in their relationship and build fresh momentum as allies, speaking during a gala event in New York.

"We want to gain new momentum by leaving behind the barriers that should never have existed between the two allies in the first place," Erdogan said, according to remarks carried by Turkish media.

Türkiye and the United States are both members of NATO, and the two countries have a decades-long alliance that has at times been strained by disagreements over issues including defense procurement, Kurdish militant groups in Syria, and broader regional policy differences.

Erdogan's remarks come as high-level diplomatic engagements between Ankara and Washington continue on the sidelines of international gatherings in New York, where world leaders regularly meet during the annual United Nations General Assembly session.

The Turkish president did not specify which particular barriers he was referring to, though Turkish officials have periodically pointed to issues such as US arms sales restrictions and sanctions-related matters as points of friction in the bilateral relationship in recent years.

Erdogan's comments reflect a broader effort by Ankara to project a positive tone toward Washington, even as specific disagreements between the two governments remain unresolved.