Trump says US is ‘very seriously’ considering F-35 sale to Türkiye

By Rabia Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Donald Trump said Monday that he is “very seriously” considering the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Türkiye.

"We're thinking about it very seriously," Trump responded when asked if the US will approve the sale.

Earlier this month, US Ambassador to Türkiye and Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack said Washington is engaged in “ongoing discussions” with Ankara over its bid to rejoin the F-35 fighter jet program, expressing hope for a “breakthrough” in the coming months.

Barrack said the “positive relationship” between Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has created “a new atmosphere of cooperation,” leading to the “most fruitful conversations we have had on this topic in nearly a decade.”

“Our hope is that these talks will yield a breakthrough in the coming months that meets both the security requirements of the United States and Türkiye,” he added.

The US suspended Türkiye from the F-35 fighter jet program in 2019 after objecting to its purchase of the Russian S-400 air defense system, claiming the Russian system posed a risk to the F-35's stealth technology and NATO interoperability. Several Turkish defense entities were sanctioned under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).​​​​​​​

Türkiye has previously called its exclusion from the program unjust and expressed hope that the issue could be resolved during Trump’s second term.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also signaled progress, saying earlier this month that Ankara is close to resolving its dispute with Washington over the CAATSA sanctions, adding: “I believe we’ll soon find a way to remove that obstacle.”