WASHINGTON 

The field of the economy is "one of the most important" dimensions of the relations between Türkiye and the US, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday.

"Economic and trade issues constitute one of the most important dimensions of our relations with America," Erdogan told a roundtable meeting with American and Turkish businesspeople at the 15th Türkiye Investment Conference hosted by the Türkiye-US Business Council (TAİK).

Erdogan arrived in New York on Saturday to address the 79th session of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday in New York, where he has been holding closed-door meetings with his counterparts.

America has been Türkiye's second largest export and fifth largest import country for the last two years, Erdogan said, adding the bilateral trade volume exceeded $30 billion in 2023.

Stressing that the two countries can reach the common goal of $100 billion in their bilateral trade volume, Erdogan said: "For this purpose, unilateral practices such as additional customs duties in the iron, steel and aluminum sectors, investigations and CAATSA sanctions must now be abandoned."

​​​​​​​He said cooperation with the US in the defense industry has "unfortunately fallen far short of its potential" in recent years due to restrictions.

"We hope that we have opened a new page with the F-16 (fighter jet) modernization project and expect the export barriers in this area to be permanently removed," he added.

The president expects support in providing the necessary facilities, especially visas, for Turkish companies to enter the American market.