Trump’s ties to Erdogan sold him on this year’s NATO summit. Turkey may win big in other ways
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- Trump is attending next week's NATO summit in Turkey at Erdogan's personal invitation, the first U.S. presidential visit to Turkey since Barack Obama in 2015, after Biden's administration kept Erdogan at arm's length over democratic backsliding and Turkey's ties to Russia.
- Trump said he would 'probably do something that's going to make him very happy' regarding F-35 fighter jet sales, banned since 2019 after Ankara purchased Russian S-400 missile defense systems that U.S. officials fear could expose stealth jet capabilities to Moscow.
- State Department notified lawmakers it plans to bypass congressional opposition to over $700 million in F-110 jet engine sales that would power Turkey's domestically produced KAAN fighter jets, according to two people granted anonymity to discuss the nonpublic notification.
- JD Vance confirmed at an Oval Office meeting that Washington is exploring F-35 sales contingent on Turkey's compliance with U.S. law, while bipartisan opposition including Senate Foreign Relations Chair Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) has publicly warned against rewarding Turkey while it keeps the Russian S-400 system.
- Erdogan snubbed Biden by declining a 2024 White House visit invitation when Turkey endorsed Finland and Sweden's NATO membership — a gesture Washington Institute analyst Soner Cagaptay says Trump read as 'a giant gesture' anticipating his election win.
- Trump appointed longtime ally and inaugural committee chairman Tom Barrack as ambassador to Turkey, described by TED University professor Ahmet Kasim Han as 'a crucial facilitator' in the warming bilateral relationship that also saw the DOJ drop its Halkbank case earlier this year.
Why it matters: Erdogan is converting his personal rapport with Trump into defense deliverables: the State Department is routing $700 million in F-110 engine sales around Congress, and Trump said he's ready to lift the 2019 F-35 ban over Turkey's Russian S-400 purchase. Bipartisan critics including Sen. Jim Risch and Rep. Gregory Meeks have warned this rewards Turkey for keeping Russian air defenses — but the administration is pushing ahead.
