President Donald Trump is reportedly preparing to tell Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that the United States is willing to bring Turkey back into the F-35 stealth fighter jet program, according to a report published Monday by the New York Times. The newspaper cited four senior administration officials in its reporting.
The news comes as Trump makes his way to Ankara for a NATO summit, where a face-to-face meeting with Erdogan is anticipated. The summit is scheduled to kick off Tuesday evening.
The four officials cited in the New York Times report did not all agree on the specifics of how Trump would navigate existing congressional and legal barriers to such a move. However, they indicated that one possible approach could involve an exchange of formal letters between the two heads of state.
Reuters reached out to the White House for comment on the report but did not receive an immediate response.
The tension between Turkey and the United States over this issue dates back to 2019, when Turkey purchased the Russian-made S-400 air defense system. That decision strained the relationship between the two NATO allies, leading Washington to impose sanctions on Ankara and cut Turkey out of the F-35 program entirely.
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill went further, passing legislation that explicitly bans any F-35 sales to Turkey for as long as the country continues to hold onto its Russian S-400 system. Congress cited the national security risk the Russian technology poses to U.S.-built combat aircraft as justification for the ban.
Despite improved diplomatic relations between Turkey and the United States under the Trump administration, the F-35 dispute has continued to be a sticking point between the two nations.
The latest development appears to reflect a broader thaw in relations. Last month, the Trump administration formally notified Congress of its plan to sell Turkey dozens of jet engines valued at more than $700 million — a copy of that notification was reviewed by Reuters.
