Trump is expected to tell Erdogan he is open to restoring Turkey’s access to the F-35 program
The Facts
- Trump is expected to tell Erdogan that he is prepared to restore Turkey’s access to the F-35 program during the NATO summit in Ankara.
- Restoring Turkey’s access to the F-35 program would reverse the U.S. decision made in 2019 to remove Turkey from the program.
- The 2019 U.S. move against Turkey followed Ankara’s purchase of the Russian S-400 air defense system.
- Any effort to restore Turkey’s access to the F-35 program could face opposition from Congress, and the mechanism for overcoming congressional restrictions remains unclear in current reporting.
- Administration officials cited in reports have discussed the possibility that Trump and Erdogan could exchange letters as part of starting the process, though details are unsettled.
- Netanyahu has publicly urged the United States not to provide Turkey with F-35 jets or fighter-jet engines ahead of Trump’s trip to Ankara.
Context
Why was Turkey removed from the F-35 program in the first place?
The United States removed Turkey from the F-35 program in 2019 after Ankara bought the Russian S-400 air defense system, which became a major point of conflict in U.S.-Turkey relations NYT,ZN.UA,Yahoo!.
What is still unresolved about Trump’s reported plan?
Reports say the main unresolved issue is how the administration would deal with congressional restrictions or opposition. Officials cited by multiple outlets have not agreed on the exact path forward, though some have discussed a possible exchange of letters between Trump and Erdogan NYT,ZN.UA,Lenta.ru.
Who is opposing the possible sale or restoration of access?
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly argued that the United States should not provide Turkey with F-35s or related engines, and reports also say Congress could try to block or resist any move to restore access Fox News,NDTV,NYT.
Where Left and Right agree, and where they split
- Where Left and Right agree
- A possible reversal on Turkey’s F-35 access is being contemplated before any clear path through congressional restrictions or settled process has been established.
- Where Left and Right split
- Whether the story is about executive power outrunning public accountability, or about presidential action being tested by Congress’s constitutional check.
How left and right read it
What stands out here is how much could turn on a leader-to-leader decision even though the path around congressional restrictions is still unclear and officials have not settled the details. When access to a major weapons program can be reopened after the earlier break tied to the S-400 purchase, it raises a basic question about whether public accountability is keeping pace with executive power.
What matters here is executive action meeting institutional limits. Trump is prepared to reverse the earlier removal of Turkey from the F-35 program, but current reporting also says Congress could resist and the path around those restrictions is unclear. For readers who care about constitutional order, that tension is the real stake.
The receipts — all 93 sources
Wire services (1)
Independent coverage (50)
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