US press reports: Claim of an F-35 surprise during Trump's Ankara visit
According to claims in the US press, US President Donald Trump is preparing to send a message regarding Turkey's potential return to the F-35 program during his meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara as part of the NATO Leaders' Summit. The report noted that legal obstacles to the process remain in place.
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It has been suggested that US President Donald Trump may send a message regarding Turkey's potential return to the F-35 fighter jet program during his meeting with AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara as part of the NATO Leaders' Summit.
According to a report by The New York Times, which cited four senior US administration officials, Trump is favorably disposed toward Turkey's re-inclusion in the F-35 program.
F-35 TOPIC MAY BE ON THE TABLE DURING THE MEETING
The report stated that the F-35 program is expected to be on the agenda during the meeting between Trump and Erdoğan in Ankara. Officials also claimed that the two leaders might exchange letters on the matter.
On the other hand, the report noted that there are disagreements among US officials regarding how the Trump administration would overcome the legal restrictions imposed by Congress.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters regarding the New York Times report.
WHY WAS TURKEY REMOVED FROM THE PROGRAM?
Following Turkey's purchase of the S-400 air defense system from Russia in 2019, tensions arose between Ankara and Washington over the issue.
The US administration removed Turkey from the F-35 program on the grounds that the S-400 systems posed a security risk to F-35 technology. During the same period, CAATSA sanctions were also implemented.
The US Congress subsequently passed legislation prohibiting the sale of F-35s to Turkey as long as it possesses the S-400 systems.
CONGRESSIONAL PROCESS DRAWS ATTENTION
In addition to the claims in the New York Times report, according to an official notification document previously obtained by Reuters, the Trump administration formally notified Congress last month of its intention to approve the sale of dozens of fighter jet engines to Turkey, valued at over 700 million dollars.
How the claims regarding the F-35 program will conclude and how potential steps will be affected by the Congressional process will become clear in the coming period.