Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that during this week’s meeting with US President Donald Trump, they will negotiate Turkey’s acquisition of F-35 fighter jets.
In an interview with Fox News, he emphasized expecting the United States to do what is necessary regarding both F-35s and F-16 matters, including their production and maintenance.
The US removed Turkey from its F-35 program in 2019 and imposed sanctions on Ankara a year later due to Turkey’s purchase of Russia’s S-400 surface-to-air missile defense system.
Erdogan had previously expressed confidence that Trump would honor the agreement between Ankara and Washington, allowing Turkey to gradually receive F-35 fighters.
This package is set to be discussed during Erdogan’s meeting with Trump in Washington on September 25.
These negotiations will cover several commercial and military agreements, including major Boeing aircraft purchases and continued discussions about the F-35 fighter program.
