Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday that conflicts, wars and crises facing the region and the world require Turkiye and the US to remain in close dialogue, stressing the need for “new momentum” in ties between the two NATO allies.

Axar.az reports, citing Anadolu Agency, that Erdogan made the remarks during his speech at the “100 Years of Friendship Gala” in New York.

“Thanks to the dialogue and coordination we have established with America, we are achieving positive results for our countries on many issues whose global issues we are witnessing, particularly in the Middle East, but also from Africa to Asia,” he said. “We are determined to continue this by redoubling our efforts in the coming period.”

Erdogan said Turkiye and the US have made significant progress across their relationship, citing his “sincere and exceptional dialogue” with US President Donald Trump and Trump’s visit to Ankara in July.

He said Turkiye is ready to advance cooperation with the US in areas including nuclear energy, liquefied natural gas (LNG), civil aviation and high technology.

“Developing the defense industry, traditionally one of the strongest areas of our partnership, both bilaterally and within NATO is essential,” he said.

“We want to leave behind the barriers that should never have existed between two allies and gain new momentum.”

“Deepening our cooperation with the United States in a multidimensional manner, including opportunities for joint production, will be in our mutual interest,” he said.

Erdogan said Turkish companies have reached a level that enables them to invest in the US, expressing confidence that Turkiye will soon rank among the world's top 10 defense exporters.

“Twenty years ago, we exported only $248 million worth of defense products annually. Today, we have reached a level of more than $10 billion in defense exports,” he said.