US President Donald Trump said he held a “productive” phone call with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday, during which they discussed the war in Ukraine and the situations in Gaza and Syria.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump said the two leaders invited each other for visits. The Turkish presidency confirmed the invitations.
“I look forward to working with President Erdogan on getting the ridiculous, but deadly, war between Russia and Ukraine ended – now,” Mr Trump wrote. He said his relationship with the Turkish President was “excellent”.
Mr Erdogan is seeking smoother relations with Washington, which for years have been strained by US support for Syrian Kurdish forces and Turkey’s acquisition of Russian air defences.
Turkey, a member of the Nato alliance, has sought to maintain relations with Russia and Ukraine since the war started more than three years ago.
It hosted early talks between the sides, helping to secure an agreement for the export of grain through the Black Sea. It has also voiced support for the Trump administration's efforts to negotiate a ceasefire.
It was not clear what role Ankara has taken in more recent efforts to end the war.
"We're in a good position to settle. They want to settle, Ukraine wants to settle," Mr Trump said from the Oval Office on Monday.
Mr Trump, who took office in January, vowed to bring a swift end to the war in Ukraine, which started when Russia invaded its neighbour in February 2022. He also wants to end US military support for Kyiv. On Sunday, Mr Trump cast doubt on whether a US-brokered agreement ending the war was possible.
Last week, his administration signed a minerals deal with Ukraine under which the US will invest in the nation's postwar reconstruction. Under the agreement, the two nations say they are set to jointly benefit from the extraction of natural resources in Ukraine.
Mr Erdogan also said that the humanitarian situation in Gaza has reached "grave proportions", and called for the delivery of uninterrupted aid, adding that Turkey was ready to support efforts to establish a ceasefire and achieve lasting peace.
According to the Turkish presidency, Mr Erdogan told Mr Trump that Turkey was working to help preserve Syria's territorial integrity, and urged him to consider sanctions relief on Damascus.
Israel has been conducting military strikes in Syria since last year. Last week, it conducted an attack near the Presidential Palace in Damascus, saying the move was to protect the Druze in Syria.
The escalation came as Turkey is planning to send troops and set up a military base in Syria, a move that would help the nation assert its role as a key player in the region, and could deter Israeli strikes.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
Match info
Premier League
Manchester United 2 (Martial 30', Lingard 69')
Arsenal 2 (Mustafi 26', Rojo 68' OG)
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
%3Cp%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%201.9km%20King%20Salman%20Boulevard%2C%20a%20Parisian%20Champs-Elysees-inspired%20avenue%2C%20is%20scheduled%20for%20completion%20in%202028%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20Royal%20Diriyah%20Opera%20House%20is%20expected%20to%20be%20completed%20in%20four%20years%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%20first%20of%2042%20hotels%2C%20the%20Bab%20Samhan%20hotel%2C%20will%20open%20in%20the%20first%20quarter%20of%202024%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20On%20completion%20in%202030%2C%20the%20Diriyah%20project%20is%20forecast%20to%20accommodate%20more%20than%20100%2C000%20people%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20%2463.2%20billion%20Diriyah%20project%20will%20contribute%20%247.2%20billion%20to%20the%20kingdom%E2%80%99s%20GDP%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20It%20will%20create%20more%20than%20178%2C000%20jobs%20and%20aims%20to%20attract%20more%20than%2050%20million%20visits%20a%20year%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20About%202%2C000%20people%20work%20for%20the%20Diriyah%20Company%2C%20with%20more%20than%2086%20per%20cent%20being%20Saudi%20citizens%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
