President Erdoğan made statements on Türkiye’s economic, commercial and defense capabilities at the “100 Years of Friendship: Türkiye-United States” program held in New York, where he was attending the United Nations’ 81st General Assembly.
Erdoğan said dialogue between Türkiye and the United States had produced positive results on various issues extending from Africa to Asia, particularly the Middle East. He said political relations should advance together with economic and commercial ties.
A $100 billion trade target
Erdoğan said they had made a strong start to the second century of diplomatic relations between the two countries. He said the dialogue he had conducted with President Trump had advanced relations in various areas, adding that the meeting in Washington and Trump’s visit to Ankara in July had strengthened the alliance ties.
Erdoğan said trade between Türkiye and the United States had doubled over the past 10 years and exceeded $38 billion in 2025. He said bilateral trade had reached $28 billion in the first eight months of this year and was expected to rise to $40 billion by the end of the year.
Erdoğan said the $100 billion trade target they had set with Trump was realistic and achievable. He said Türkiye had maintained its stability despite the crises in its surrounding region and had strong ties with Syria, Iraq, the Caucasus and North Africa.
Statements on the economy and the earthquake region
Erdoğan said Türkiye’s national income had risen from $236 billion when they took office to $1.8 trillion, adding that per capita income would exceed $20,000 by the end of 2026. He also said the amount of foreign direct investment flowing into Türkiye over the past 24 years had approached $300 billion.
Erdoğan said the debris from the 2023 earthquakes had been cleared within three years and that more than 455,000 homes had been completed and handed over to earthquake survivors in the affected region. He argued that these developments demonstrated the resilience of the Turkish economy to shocks.
Referring to the investment program announced in April, Erdoğan said the corporate tax rate for investors had been reduced from 25% to 12.5%. He said profits from transit trade in the Istanbul Finance Center and designated industrial zones had been exempted from corporate tax, adding that the policy had been extended across Türkiye.
Defense exports surpass the $10 billion threshold
Erdoğan said Türkiye and the United States were ready to advance cooperation in energy, nuclear energy, liquefied natural gas, civil aviation and high technology. He said the defense industry was an important area for bilateral relations and partnership within NATO.
Erdoğan said Türkiye had become a globally sought-after actor in the defense industry, adding that defense exports had risen from $248 million 20 years ago to more than $10 billion today. He also said Türkiye’s share of global defense equipment exports had increased by more than 120% compared with five years ago.
Erdoğan said Turkish defense companies had reached a level that enabled them to invest in the United States. He said he believed Türkiye would soon rank among the world’s top 10 countries in defense industry exports. He added that broader cooperation with the United States, including joint production opportunities, would serve the common interests of both countries.
Thanks to the Turkish-American community
Erdoğan said he was pleased that Turkish citizens living in the United States maintained their ties with Türkiye while also integrating strongly into American society. He said they were proud of members of the Turkish-American community who had distinguished themselves in politics, business, science, culture, the arts and sports.
Erdoğan expressed hope that the ties between Türkiye and the United States, as well as the alliance framework, would grow stronger during the second century of diplomatic relations. At the end of the event, which Erdoğan praised for the contributions of congressional, business, academic, cultural and arts circles, Hamdi Ulukaya, chairman of the U.S.-Türkiye Business Council, presented him with a gift.
