Ankara, Turkey. President Donald Trump is expected to tell Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that he is prepared to allow Turkey to rejoin the F-35 stealth fighter program, the New York Times reported on Monday, citing four senior administration officials. The report comes as Trump heads to Ankara for a NATO summit, where he is expected to meet Erdogan.
Report outlines possible path
According to the New York Times, the officials differed on the details of how Trump would seek to work around congressional and legal restrictions, but suggested there could be an exchange of letters on the subject between the two leaders. The summit is set to begin on Tuesday evening.
White House response pending
The White House did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment on the report.
S-400 purchase strained ties
Turkey’s 2019 acquisition of the Russian S-400 air defense system soured ties with the United States and reduced congressional support for Ankara. In response, Washington imposed sanctions and removed Turkey from the F-35 fighter jet program.
Congressional restrictions remain
Congress also passed a law prohibiting any sales of F-35s to Turkey as long as Ankara remained in possession of the S-400s, saying the Russian system poses a security risk to U.S.-made combat aircraft. The issue has remained a major point of contention between the two countries, even though Turkey has warmer ties with Washington under Trump.
Recent arms sale notification
The reported development comes after Trump’s administration formally notified Congress last month of its intention to sell dozens of jet engines worth more than $700 million to Turkey, according to a copy of the formal notification seen by Reuters.
