US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will be “very happy” when asked whether Turkey could regain access to F-35 fighter jets.
“I’m going to probably do something that’s going to make him very happy,” Trump told reporters when asked about Erdoğan’s interest in the jets and whether he would be bringing a “big gift bag” with him to Ankara during a NATO summit there next month.
The F-35, a top-of-the-line stealth fighter jet, was developed by the United States in partnership with other NATO countries, including Turkey, under the Joint Strike Fighter program.
The United States removed Turkey from the program in 2019 after Ankara went ahead with the purchase of a Russian S-400 missile defense system, a move Washington said posed a threat to the security of the F-35 program.
Trump has since sought warmer ties with Erdoğan, although he did not say whether his attendance at the NATO summit would include a formal visit to Turkey.
Despite Trump’s remarks, Vice President JD Vance said the sale of Lockheed Martin F-35 jets to Turkey would require approval from the US Congress.
“This is really a congressional thing, and ensuring that Turkey has complied with American law, so they can get the F-35,” Vance said.
© Agence France-Presse