Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, Monday urged tech magnate Elon Musk to find his upcoming Tesla factory in Turkey, making him the latest chief to foyer the billionaire, who owns X, previously Twitter and rocket firm SpaceX.

Erdogan and Musk have held a string of conferences each in Turkey and on the sidelines of worldwide boards, growing a seeming friendship that they prolonged on Sunday in New York.

Turkish tv on Monday confirmed Musk coming into New York´s Turkish House, a brand new skyscraper throughout from the United Nations constructing, along with his three-year-old son, whom he held on his lap throughout the talks.

“President Erdogan called on Tesla to establish its seventh factory in Turkey,” the Turkish chief´s workplace stated.

Turkey´s Anadolu state information company stated Musk advised Erdogan that his nation was “among the most important candidates” for the brand new factory, AFP reported.

Erdogan´s lobbying efforts observe these undertaken by French President Emmanuel Macron, who met Musk in June, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

Erdogan was in New York to attend the annual UN General Assembly assembly, which he’s scheduled to deal with on Tuesday.

Tesla at present has six factories, together with two outdoors the United States — one in Shanghai targeted on the Asian market and a second targeted on European gross sales close to Berlin.

It can be constructing one in Mexico and has tentative plans for a plant in India.

‘Where is your spouse?’

Erdogan likes to promote Turkey´s high-tech sector, which is arguably most well-known for its Bayraktar fight drones.

The drones, which helped Ukraine repel Russia´s march on Kyiv in the primary weeks of its invasion final 12 months, featured prominently throughout Erdogan´s May re-election marketing campaign.

Turkey this 12 months additionally unveiled its first domestically-made electrical car, referred to as Togg, which requires a continuing stream of electrical batteries and elements.

Musk´s SpaceX has additionally been working with Turkey´s house business, launching a few of its communication satellites.

Erdogan´s workplace stated he invited Musk to attend Teknofest, a know-how truthful scheduled for later this month in Turkey´s western metropolis of Izmir.

But whereas cordial and full of guffaws — Erdogan offered a soccer to Musk´s son, whom he and Canadian pop star Grimes named “X AE A-12” — the assembly acquired off to a barely awkward begin.

“Where is your wife?” Erdogan demanded in English, a language that he hardly ever speaks in public.

“Oh she´s in San Francisco,” Musk stated with a barely nervous snort. “We´re separated and I take care of him mostly,” he added, nodding at his son.

Musk and Grimes separated two years in the past.

The 52-year-old tycoon was additionally married twice to the British actress Talulah Riley, and as soon as to the Canadian writer Justine Wilson.