Turkish leader hopes for stronger cooperation with US amid F-35 dispute

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed optimism about strengthening cooperation between Türkiye and the US, particularly amid the ongoing F-35 fighter jet issue.

Speaking to reporters aboard his plane while returning from Budapest, Erdogan noted that the situation with the F-35 jets remains unresolved, but he hopes for improved relations going forward, Caliber.Az reports via Turkish media.

"We have invited Trump to Türkiye. I hope he will accept our invitation, and in doing so, we can strengthen our cooperation with the US beyond what we have seen in the past. The issue with the F-35 and the ongoing S-400 process are still in play," Erdogan said.

Reflecting on the F-35 situation during Trump's presidency, Erdogan recalled, "The money has been given, but you're still not giving us the planes?"

He went on to add, "Let's see how we will address these issues in the new period and how we continue moving forward."

Türkiye's removal from the F-35 programme represented a major shift in US-Türkiye defence relations. The Pentagon cited the potential risk posed by Türkiye's acquisition of the Russian S-400 missile defence system, which could allow Russia to gain crucial insights into the F-35's stealth technology and operational capabilities. In addition to excluding Türkiye from the F-35 programme, the US imposed sanctions in December 2020 under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), targeting Türkiye's defence procurement agency, the Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB), as well as key officials.

As a result of these sanctions and expulsion, Türkiye not only lost access to the F-35 aircraft but also forfeited its role as a key supplier in the programme. Turkish companies had expected to generate up to $12 billion in business from the F-35 programme, and the loss of this revenue has had a significant impact on Türkiye's defence sector.

By Naila Huseynova