US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, 8 July signalled that his administration was inclined to restore Turkey's access to the F-35 stealth fighter programme, crediting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for keeping Ankara out of the recent Middle East conflict and describing the bilateral relationship as one of Washington's strongest. The remarks, made at a news conference following the NATO summit in Ankara, represent the clearest indication yet that Washington may revisit one of the most contentious disputes in US-Turkey defence relations.

What Trump Said

'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 at the post-summit press conference. He stopped short of announcing a final decision but was explicit about his disposition: '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 also praised Erdogan in personal terms, calling him 'a really great man' and 'a great leader,' and noted that Secretary of State Marco Rubio could attest to the strength of the bilateral relationship. 'Marco could tell you we have a very strong relationship with Turkey,' he said.

Erdogan's Restraint as Diplomatic Currency

Central to Trump's reasoning was Erdogan's decision not to intervene in the recent regional conflict despite strained relations with Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. '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,' Trump said, adding that Turkey's military capacity made that restraint strategically significant. '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.'

Trump had also praised Erdogan earlier in the day during a bilateral meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, saying the Turkish leader had exercised restraint 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.

Background: Why Turkey Was Expelled from the F-35 Programme

The United States removed Turkey from the multinational F-35 programme in 2019 after Ankara acquired the Russian-made S-400 air defence system. Washington argued that operating the two systems simultaneously could compromise the aircraft's sensitive stealth technology. The US also imposed sanctions on Turkey under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). Turkey has consistently maintained that its exclusion was unjustified and has sought reinstatement ever since.

Shifting US-Turkey Ties Since January 2025

Trump attributed the warming of ties directly to his return to the White House, contrasting the current relationship with what he described as a deterioration under his predecessor. '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,' he said. He also recalled the release of American pastor Andrew Brunson from detention in Turkey during his first term as an example of productive bilateral engagement.

Turkey is the second-largest military power in NATO by Trump's own description, and its strategic position — bordering both the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, and sharing frontiers with Syria, Iraq, and Iran — gives Ankara considerable leverage in any defence negotiation. The NATO summit in Ankara has provided fresh momentum for deepening that cooperation, and Trump's public comments are widely seen as an opening bid in what is likely to be a complex negotiation involving CAATSA waivers, S-400 disposition, and F-35 delivery timelines.

What Comes Next

No formal announcement has been made, and any reinstatement would require navigating CAATSA sanctions, Congressional scrutiny, and concerns from other F-35 partner nations. Defence analysts note that Turkey's return would also require resolution of the S-400 question — whether Ankara stores, deactivates, or returns the Russian system. The issue is now reportedly under active consideration as Washington and Ankara seek to consolidate gains from the NATO summit amid evolving security dynamics across the Middle East and Eastern Europe.