Erdoğan, Trump discuss latest developments in phone call

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump discussed a proposal for a working group on Russia's S-400 air defense system over phone on Monday.
According to a statement by the Turkish Presidency, Erdoğan and Trump also exchanged views on the latest developments in Syria and agreed to pursue cooperation in counter-terrorism.

Washington has balked at Turkey's purchase of the S-400s.

U.S. officials have suggested Turkey buy the U.S. Patriot missile system rather than the S-400, arguing it is incompatible with NATO systems.

Turkey has responded that it was the U.S. refusal to sell it Patriots that led it to seek other sellers, adding that Russia offered it a better deal, including technology transfers.

The bilateral and regional issues were subjects of the high-level phone conversation, as well.

The two leaders also reiterated the aim for $75B trade volume, the statement added.

Tensions between the U.S. and Turkey reached a fever pitch in recent months with Turkey set to begin receiving the advanced S-400 Russian surface-to-air missile system which the U.S. says will jeopardize Turkey's role in the F-35 fighter jet program and which could trigger congressional sanctions.

Turkey decided in 2017 to purchase the S-400 system following protracted efforts to purchase air defense systems from the U.S. with no success, and the first S-400 is likely to be delivered in June.

The presidency added that Erdoğan also condemned the armed assault in San Diego and offered his condolences to Trump and American people. A gunman walked into a suburban San Diego synagogue late morning on April 27, the last day of the week-long Jewish holiday of Passover, and opened fire with an assault-style rifle, killing one woman inside and wounding three others.