Turkey seeks reentry into US F-35 program, says Erdoğan

Ankara: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has stated that Turkey has expressed its desire to acquire the latest American F-35 stealth fighter jets and to rejoin the program.

Speaking to journalists aboard his plane on his return from the NATO summit, Erdoğan said he is hopeful for progress on the matter following discussions with former President Donald Trump.

According to the Turkish Presidential Office, Erdoğan said, "We never withdrew from the F-35 program. We are in talks with our American counterparts about rejoining the program."

He further added, "We raised the issue during our meeting with President Trump, and now technical-level negotiations have begun."

It is worth recalling that the United States imposed sanctions on Turkey in 2020 after it purchased the Russian S-400 air defense system. As part of those sanctions, Turkey was also removed from the F-35 program, despite being not just a buyer but also a partner in the project.

Turkey has repeatedly called the decision “unjust” and has continued to demand either re-entry into the program or financial compensation.