Trump Moves to Restore Turkey's F-35 Access After 7-Year Ban
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 6
Trump Moves to Restore Turkey's F-35 Access After 7-Year Ban
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 6
Summary
Trump is expected to tell President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at this week's NATO summit in Ankara that he is prepared to bring Turkey back into the F-35 program, reopening a path to buy the stealth jets.
Four senior administration officials said the shift follows weeks of internal work to break the stalemate, though Trump may initially signal intent rather than set a delivery timeline and could start with an exchange of letters.
Congress could still try to block the move, and officials said the administration is still weighing how to navigate legal and political restrictions on restoring access.
Turkey was expelled from the program in 2019 after buying Russia's S-400 air defense system, which Washington feared could expose the F-35's stealth and missile-avoidance capabilities.
The reversal would undo a ban Trump imposed in his first term and reflects his push to satisfy Erdogan, after Vice President JD Vance said Trump had ordered officials to find a way to get Turkey the jets.