Turkey's return to F-35 programme vital for Nato security, says Erdogan

Erdogan said he made his pitch personally to Trump during their White House meeting in September, calling the decision to expel Turkey from the F-35 programme 'unjust'

By Firat Kozok

 

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for Turkey’s re-entry into the US-led F-35 fighter jet-programme, saying it would help cement ties with Washington and strengthen the security of Nato.

 

The written comments, made in a response to questions from Bloomberg, highlight the Turkish leader’s bid to use his rapport with President Donald Trump to repair ties strained almost a decade ago over Turkey’s purchase of Russian-made air defense systems. A growing overlap in policy priorities between Ankara and Washington — spanning defense, energy and the direction of regional conflicts — is reshaping Turkey’s balancing act between the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, of which it is a member, and Russia, its biggest trade partner.

 

 

Erdogan said he made his pitch personally to Trump during their White House meeting in September, calling the decision to expel Turkey from the F-35 programme over its purchase of Russia military equipment “unjust.”

 

“With Trump’s return to office, an opportunity has emerged to move Türkiye–US relations onto a more reasonable and constructive footing,” Erdogan said, using the official name the country adopted in 2022. 

 

“Türkiye’s receipt of the F-35 aircraft for which it has already paid, and its reintegration into the programme, are important and necessary” for better ties with the US and Nato’s defense, he said.

 

S-400 missiles 

Turkey has been seeking to return the S-400 air defense systems it bought from Russia, Bloomberg reported last month. Erdogan raised the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting in Turkmenistan, a sign that he’s trying to mend its defense relationship with the US, which Erdogan said is a “central pillar” of the bilateral ties.

 

Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey and a close ally of Trump, said late last year that Ankara was getting closer to relinquishing the S-400s, predicting the issue could be resolved within four to six months.

 

Turkey has also been seeking to buy F-16 Block 70 aircraft from the US, though pricing remains under discussion. Erdogan said Ankara expects terms to be in line with the spirit of the Nato alliance, touting Turkey’s purchase of Eurofighter jets as an example.

 

Another thorn in Turkish-American ties has been the near decade-long saga surrounding Turkey’s state-owned lender Turkiye Halk Bankasi AS. The bank was indicted in 2019 for allegedly participating in a multibillion-dollar scheme to evade sanctions on Iran. It faces charges of fraud, money laundering and sanctions violations. 

 

Erdogan said Turkey considers the allegations to be misguided and is in talks to protect the lender from “facing unjust penalties.”

 

“Our hope is to reach a fair outcome that is fully consistent with the law,” he said.

 

American LNG 

Turkey is the third-largest buyer of Russian crude and came under pressure from the Trump administration in September to curb oil imports from Moscow. Turkey’s oil refiners have started cutting their purchases after the US sanctioned Moscow’s top two oil producers late last year.

 

In an attempt to address US concerns, Ankara has been overhauling its gas strategy, focusing on a portfolio built around American LNG and said it’s seeking investments in US oil and gas fields.

 

“We have significantly increased our LNG supplies, particularly from the US,” which now holds “a prominent position” within Turkey’s supply chain, Erdogan said.

 

“Türkiye’s position is very clear: we act in line with our national interests and our energy security,” the Turkish president said. “As a country that relies on imports for a substantial portion of its hydrocarbon requirements, we must pursue a cautious and balanced approach in all matters that may impact our energy security.”

 

But Russia still accounted for 61% of the country’s oil purchases and 40% of its gas supplies, according to most recent official Turkish data, a decades-long dominance that will likely take years to unwind.

 

Regional conflicts 

Balancing ties with Russia against relations with Nato allies has been a difficult task for Ankara, especially since the war in Ukraine began in 2022. Erdogan has refused to sanction Moscow but has restricted its ability to send military vessels to the Black Sea through the Bosphorus and has sent weaponry to Kyiv.

 

Thanks to its ability to stay out of the war, Turkey remains a possible host for future peace talks and could provide support for monitoring any ceasefire between the warring countries, Erdogan said.

 

“Türkiye stands as the sole actor able to speak directly with both Mr. Putin” and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Erdogan said. “Our door remains open to all. I have conveyed this resolve clearly and on numerous occasions to both” leaders, he said.

 

In the Middle East, Turkey has been a key power broker behind the October ceasefire in the war between Hamas and Israel.

 

Erdogan, a vocal critic of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his conduct of the war in the Palestinian enclave, said a proposed International Stabilization Force in Gaza would struggle to achieve legitimacy without Turkey’s involvement.

 

“We are in the position of a key country for such a mission due to our deep historical ties with the Palestinian side, the security and diplomacy channels we have conducted with Israel in the past, and our regional influence as a Nato member country,” he said. “Our political will is clear; we stand ready to take on any responsibility for a lasting peace in Gaza.”