US President Donald Trump is expected to tell Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that he is prepared to allow the country to rejoin the F-35 stealth fighter program, the New York Times reported on Monday, citing four senior administration officials. The report comes as Trump heads to Ankara for a NATO summit, where he is expected to meet Erdogan. The summit is set to begin on Tuesday evening.
Details of the Proposed F-35 Deal
According to the New York Times report, the officials differed on the details of how Trump would seek to work around congressional and legal restrictions, but suggested there could be an exchange of letters on the subject between the two leaders. The White House did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment on the report.
Background: Turkey's Removal from the F-35 Program
Turkey’s 2019 acquisition of the Russian S-400 air defense system has soured ties with the United States and hampered congressional support for Ankara. In response, Washington imposed sanctions and removed Turkey from the F-35 fighter jet program. Congress also passed a law prohibiting any sales of F-35s to Turkey as long as Ankara remained in possession of the S-400s, saying the Russian system poses a security risk to US-made combat aircraft. The issue has remained a major point of contention between the two countries even though Turkey enjoys warmer ties with Washington under Trump.
Signs of Improving US-Turkey Relations
The reported development is a sign of improving ties between the two countries, especially after Trump’s administration formally notified Congress of its intention to sell dozens of jet engines worth more than $700 million to Turkey last month, according to a copy of the formal notification seen by Reuters.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Opposes F-35 Sales to Turkey
But speaking Monday on the morning show “Fox & Friends,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the U.S. not to sell F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, saying that Erdogan “calls openly for the annihilation of Israel.” Turkey and Israel have acrimonious relations. Erdogan frequently accuses Israel of committing genocide in its war in Gaza, triggered by the deadly Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. Turkey was barred from the F-35 program in 2019, after it purchased Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems. However, Trump, who has warm relations with Erdogan, has hinted ahead of his planned visit to Ankara for the NATO summit that the sales could soon resume. Netanyahu said selling Turkey F-35s would “upset the power balance in the Middle East, which is ultimately guaranteed by Israeli air superiority and also, I think, by America’s posture in the Middle East.”
