Donald Trump and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Photo: Anadolu
When journalists asked Trump whether the U.S. would lift the restrictions preventing Turkey from purchasing and participating in the production of F-35 stealth fighter jets, he expressed a willingness to consider that possibility. Time notes that this ban was imposed after Ankara acquired the Russian S-400 air defense system.
“That’s a decision we have to make. We have a very good relationship,” the publication quotes Trump as saying. He noted that Turkey has been “much more loyal than other countries” in many respects and stated that this issue “will definitely be considered.”
For his part, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed hope for a positive decision on the delivery of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey.
“The F-35 issue is not new to us; we have already discussed it with the U.S. and received a promise to deliver five aircraft,” the Turkish leader noted.
At the same time, according to Anadolu, he spoke highly of Donald Trump’s position on this issue.
“I am convinced that thanks to our solidarity with the president and our strong relations, we will achieve favorable results on many issues on our agenda,” Anadolu quoted Erdogan as saying.
As a reminder, the NATO summit, taking place on July 7–8, brings together leaders from the alliance’s 32 member countries. Among the main topics of discussion are defense spending, NATO’s military capabilities, and support for Ukraine.
