Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that with the return of US President Donald Trump to office, an opportunity has emerged to reintegrate Türkiye into the US-led F-35 fighter jet program, considering that his country was expelled from it by an “unjust decision.”
In written responses to questions from Bloomberg, Erdogan said, “Türkiye’s receipt of the F-35 aircraft for which it has already paid, and its reintegration into the program, are important and necessary” for better ties with the US and NATO’s defense.
The President said this is aimed at improving relations with the US and contributing to NATO's defense.
Citing his meeting with Trump at the White House in September 2025, Erdogan described the decision to remove Türkiye from the F-35 program on account of its acquisition of military equipment from Russia as “unjust” and affirmed that he personally communicated this concern to his US counterpart.
He then stated that with Trump's return to office, an opportunity has emerged to move Türkiye–US relations onto a more reasonable and constructive footing, according to his office.
In 2019, Ankara was excluded from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program as both a client and an industrial partner over its purchase of Russian-made S-400 air defense systems.
Also, Erdogan said that thanks to its ability to stay out of the Russia-Ukraine War, Türkiye remains a possible host for future peace talks. He then affirmed that Ankara could provide support for monitoring any ceasefire between the warring countries.
“Türkiye stands as the sole actor able to speak directly with Russian President (Vladimir Putin) and Ukrainian President (Volodymyr Zelensky),” he said. “Our door remains open to all. I have conveyed this resolve clearly and on numerous occasions to both leaders.”
