President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said he believes Turkey will be readmitted to the US’s F-35 joint strike fighter program under an agreement with President Donald Trump and that deliveries will resume in stages.
Turkey was removed from the program in 2019 after it acquired Russia’s S-400 missile defense system, a move that also triggered US sanctions in 2020. But since Trump’s return to office, both sides have signaled a willingness to resolve the dispute.
“I believe Mr. Trump will remain loyal to the agreement we made,” Erdogan said on his return from Azerbaijan, according to remarks published Saturday by state-run Anadolu news agency. “I think the F-35s will be delivered to Turkey step-by-step during his term.”
Erdoğan did not disclose further details about the agreement but called the development “part of a geo-economic revolution.” He also said the F-35 issue was about more than just military technology, describing it as a matter of “strong partnership” within NATO.
The US sanctions strained ties between the two allies, but last weekend, US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack said they were likely to be lifted “by year’s end.”
Trump and Erdoğan will instruct their foreign ministers to work out a solution, Barrack said, adding that “Congress will support an intelligent solution,” Anadolu reported.
In March Erdoğan urged Trump to finalize a deal for the sale of US F-16 fighter jets and for Turkey’s return to the F-35 development program. In June he said Turkey had already seen an easing of some sanctions under the new administration.
© Agence France-Presse