Trump says trade talks are back on the table with Erdoğan

President Trump said he plans to discuss a trade deal with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during their meetings at the White House on Wednesday.

“Frankly, we’re going to be expanding our trade relationship very significantly,” Trump said in the Oval Office on Wednesday, accompanied by Erdoğan.

{mosads}The president expressed optimism that the two sides could reach a trade deal worth $100 billion. The deal was being discussed perviously, but talks were halted after the U.S. placed sanctions on Turkey in response to the Turkish incursion into northern Syria last month.

Trump said Commerce Department officials were at the White House to discuss the potential deal on Wednesday.

Tensions between Turkey and the U.S. have spiked over the last month following Trump’s decision to pull U.S. forces out of northern Syria. Lawmakers argued that the move gave a “green light” for Turkey’s military aggression in the region, though Trump has denied that was the case.

Under intense bipartisan pressure, Trump said he would impose sanctions on Turkish officials and increase tariffs on steel imports. But the sanctions were lifted a short time later after the U.S. and Turkey brokered a temporary cease-fire in northern Syria.

U.S. lawmakers remain highly skeptical of Erdoğan, and several members of Congress urged Trump to disinvite the Turkish autocrat. As a result, any prospective trade deal would face intense congressional scrutiny.