Erdogan and Burnham to meet for first time at UN General Assembly in New York

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham for the first time at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, marking their first official encounter since Burnham assumed office in July. The meeting coincides with recent sanctions imposed by the UK on illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank and accusations of Israel turning a blind eye to Palestinian ethnic cleansing by settlers.

Relations between Turkey and the UK have been described as "excellent" following Turkey's decision to purchase Eurofighter Typhoon jets from the UK worth billions of dollars. In April, the two countries signed a Strategic Partnership Framework aimed at strengthening dialogue and cooperation as NATO allies and strategic partners. A security and defense partnership agreement was also signed on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, committing both nations to support each other on defense matters.

Erdogan arrived in New York on Sunday and is expected to meet several other world leaders during the General Assembly. He plans to meet the chairman of Libya's Presidential Council, Mohamed al-Menfi, on Monday, and Kuwait's Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled. On Tuesday, he will hold his first bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sadako Takaichi since she took office. Wednesday brings meetings with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Zayid.

Sources indicate that additional meetings with heads of state may be added to Erdogan's schedule, potentially including a private meeting with US President Donald Trump.