Meeting with Trump: Turkey Hopes for Progress on F-35 Fighter Jets

Turkey has not given up hope of receiving F-35 fighter jets from the United States. The country has expressed its intention to rejoin the program from which it was excluded due to its purchase of Russian defense systems. Speaking to reporters on the return from the NATO Summit held in The Hague on Thursday (June 26), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan shared this optimistic outlook, according to British news agency Reuters.Erdoğan further told reporters that he held a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. After discussions during the meeting, he is hopeful about making progress.He said, “We have not moved away from the F-35. We are discussing rejoining the program with our partners.”“We discussed the matter during our meeting with President Trump. Now, technical-level discussions have begun. God willing, we will make progress.”In 2020, the United States imposed sanctions on its NATO ally Ankara for purchasing the Russian S-400 missile defense system. Alongside this, Turkey was also removed from the F-35 program. Turkey was both a buyer and a manufacturer in the program. Ankara has repeatedly stated that its exclusion was unjust and has demanded reinstatement or compensation.