Erdogan expects concrete action from Trump on this issue

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he expects US President Donald Trump to take concrete steps toward returning Türkiye to the F-35 fighter jet program.

TodayPress TV reports that he made the remarks while speaking to journalists on his return from the United States.

“We discussed this issue with Mr. Trump, as well as within the framework of NATO. He expressed a positive stance on Türkiye’s return to the F-35 program. Now we expect this position to translate into concrete steps. We are continuing our contacts on this issue. I believe we will achieve a result,” Erdoğan said.

He noted that cooperation between Ankara and Washington has advanced significantly compared with the period under the previous US administration.

However, speaking about arms and aviation, Erdogan emphasized that Ankara considers the development of its own defense industry a priority:

“For us, the domestic defense industry is extremely important. First and foremost, we want to produce our own fighter aircraft, including Kaan, our air defense systems, and develop the capabilities of our defense industry.”

Aysel Matlab