Trump signals F-35 rethink for Turkey

Ankara, July 7 (IANS) US President Donald Trump on Tuesday signalled that his administration is prepared to reconsider the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, saying it was "certainly something we will consider", as he underscored what he described as the strongest phase yet in relations between Washington and Ankara. 

At a joint media appearance alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan before their bilateral meeting ahead of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Summit, Trump repeatedly praised Turkey as a key ally and credited his personal relationship with Erdogan for strengthening ties between the two countries.

Asked whether the United States would sell F-35 aircraft to Turkey despite existing legal and political restrictions, Trump said: "It's a decision we're going to make, right? We have a very good relationship."

"I would think that many people -- I can tell you, many people, including the people sitting right here, think, why wouldn't we do that? We have a better relationship with Turkey, and Turkey's been in many ways much more loyal than other countries that we think would be loyal."

"So yeah, it's something, certainly we would consider. It's a great plane. It's the best -- currently, the best plane by far and it's certainly something we will consider."

The remarks came as Trump described Erdogan as "a respected leader all over the world" and said Turkey had become "a very powerful country militarily."

"We've had right from the beginning, good chemistry. We've had a very special relationship," Trump said, adding that the two leaders would discuss trade, military cooperation and Iran during their meeting.

Later, defending closer defence ties with Ankara, Trump argued that Washington had an obligation to support countries that purchased American military equipment.

"When they buy a product from us, whether it's a plane or anything else, when it's time for maintenance, I think we have -- Don't we have an obligation to help them?"

He added: "Turkey has been a great ally for us."

"They are a nation that's been very, very good. And I can only -- I can speak for myself as president, they've been extraordinary in many ways with respect to our relationship."

Trump also suggested Turkey had played a constructive role during the recent tensions involving Iran.

"They could have gotten into the fight," he said, adding that Turkey had instead been "very instrumental" in efforts aimed at ending what he called the "denuclearisation" of Iran. He said he was "totally sure" Erdogan did not want Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.

The US President also expressed confidence that cooperation between the two countries would deepen following the NATO summit.

"The relationship with Turkey right now is better probably than it's ever been," Trump said. "It was good in my first four years, but I think now it's probably even better than that, if that's possible."

Turkey was removed from the multinational F-35 fighter programme in 2019 after it acquired the Russian S-400 air defence system, a move that prompted the United States to impose sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). Since then, Ankara has sought to restore defence ties with Washington while continuing to modernise its air force.

Any move to revive F-35 sales would represent a significant shift in US policy and would likely require navigating legal and congressional hurdles. The issue has remained one of the most contentious aspects of US-Turkey relations, even as the two NATO allies have continued cooperating on regional security, counterterrorism and Black Sea stability.

--IANS

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