Şimşek discusses economic relations with US counterpart Bessent
ANKARA
Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek on March 17 spoke over the phone with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to discuss economic relations.
Şimşek congratulated Bessent on his new position under the Trump administration, Treasury and Finance Ministry sources told state-run Anadolu Agency. Bessent took office in late January.
The officials also agreed to meet face-to-face at the first opportunity.
They are expected to meet during next month’s annual IMF-World Bank meetings in Washington, DC.
During the phone call, which lasted for about a half-hour, they discussed the issue of further deepening economic cooperation between Türkiye and the U.S.
The exchange between Şimşek and Bessent took place shortly after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump.
The call on March 16 addressed bilateral relations between Türkiye and the U.S., as well as regional and global matters.
Erdoğan expressed his belief that Türkiye and the U.S., as two allies, will advance their cooperation in the new era with solidarity.
The two also discussed the urgency of concluding the F-16 procurement process and reinstating Türkiye’s participation in the F-35 program.
