Trump signals F-35 opening for Turkey

Ankara, July 8 (IANS) US President Donald Trump on Wednesday signalled that his administration was inclined to restore Turkey’s access to the F-35 stealth fighter programme, citing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s role in keeping Turkey out of the recent Middle East conflict and describing bilateral ties as among Washington’s strongest.

Speaking at a news conference after the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump said discussions on the fifth-generation fighter aircraft were ongoing and suggested he was favourably disposed towards approving Turkey’s return to the programme.

“They’re talking about the F-35 airplane, and it’s the best plane, and everybody wants it, and we have to make a decision who we give it to,” Trump said.

“My inclination, because again, he stayed out of… he’s not a huge fan of Bibi, and he’s not a huge fan of Israel. But he stayed out of that war. He could have gone into that war very easily, and he did at my request; he stayed out of that war.”

Trump said Erdogan had “been a very good ally” and praised cooperation between Washington and Ankara.

“Marco could tell you we have a very strong relationship with Turkey,” he said, referring to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

“You know, it’s a very big country. It’s a very powerful military. It’s the second most powerful country in NATO.”

The President said relations between the two countries had rebounded sharply since his return to office.

“I had a great relationship in my first term,” Trump said, recalling the release of American pastor Andrew Brunson from detention in Turkey.

“When Sleepy Joe Biden got in, bad things happened with a lot of things… I think Turkey was one of those countries. But that changed on November 5th when we had the election.”

“And we’ve… it’s one of our best relationships. We have a great relationship.”

Earlier in the day, during a bilateral meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump had also praised Erdogan, saying the Turkish leader had exercised restraint during the recent conflict despite tensions with Israel.

“I like Erdogan. I’ll tell you, I like President Erdogan. He rolled out the red carpet. He’s terrific,” Trump said.

He said he had told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Turkey could have entered the conflict but chose not to.

“He could have gone into the war because he doesn’t like Israel much and he doesn’t like Bibi much. And he didn’t go because of me.”

“And this is a military power. Millions of soldiers. Turkey’s very strong. They have a lot of our best equipment. They’re trying to get the F-35s.”

“But he didn’t go in. If he wanted to, he would go in. If it weren’t for me, he would have gone in.”

Trump also praised Turkey for hosting the NATO summit, describing Erdogan as “a really great man” and “a great leader.”

“He’s a friend of mine… he’s a strong person, a very strong personality and that’s why he runs such a successful and good country,” Trump said.

The remarks represent Trump’s strongest indication yet that Washington could revisit one of the most contentious issues in US-Turkey defence relations. While he stopped short of announcing a final decision, his repeated references to Erdogan’s cooperation and Turkey’s strategic importance suggested the issue is under active consideration.

The United States removed Turkey from the multinational F-35 programme in 2019 after Ankara acquired the Russian-made S-400 air defence system, arguing that operating the two systems together could compromise the aircraft’s sensitive technology. Washington also imposed sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).

Since then, Turkey has repeatedly sought to return to the programme, maintaining that its exclusion was unjustified. Trump’s latest comments suggest the issue may be back on the negotiating table as Washington and Ankara seek to deepen defence cooperation following the NATO summit and amid evolving security dynamics in the Middle East.

–IANS

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