President Donald Trump intends to tell Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that the United States will permit Turkey to rejoin the F-35 stealth fighter program, the New York Times reported, citing four senior administration officials. The discussion is set to take place as Mr. Trump travels to Ankara to attend a NATO summit that begins Tuesday evening, where a meeting between the two leaders is scheduled.
According to the officials cited, there is no consensus inside the administration about the mechanism Mr. Trump will use to overcome congressional and legal impediments that currently prevent Turkey from receiving F-35 aircraft. The sources said the leaders may address the issue via exchanged letters as they seek a path forward.
The U.S. removed Turkey from the F-35 program and imposed sanctions after Ankara purchased the Russian S-400 air defense system in 2019. That acquisition weakened ties between Washington and Ankara and eroded support among U.S. lawmakers for lifting restrictions on Turkey's participation in the F-35 program.
Congress has enacted legislation that blocks F-35 sales to Turkey while the country retains the S-400 systems. Lawmakers have pointed to security concerns, arguing the Russian-made system could present risks to U.S.-built combat aircraft and related sensitive technologies.
While the dispute over the S-400s and F-35 access has been a persistent source of friction between the United States and Turkey, officials say overall bilateral ties have seen some improvement during Mr. Trump’s presidency. The precise legal and legislative avenues for restoring Turkey’s program access remained contested within the administration, according to the report.
Separately, the administration last month notified Congress of plans to sell Turkey dozens of jet engines valued at more than $700 million, the report said. That move followed other, earlier efforts to navigate the bilateral relationship through selective defense-related transactions.
The coming exchanges between the two presidents - and the internal debate over how to address congressional and statutory barriers - underscore the intersection of foreign policy, national security concerns, and congressional oversight in decisions about defense program participation and arms sales.