FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
President Donald Trump spoke warmly of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday evening, leaving open the possibility of a "gift" regarding F-35 jets ahead of the NATO summit.
"Erdogan is a man who can be considered somewhat controversial, but I am one too. I know him personally. I think he is a very good man. He has helped us a lot.
"I told him to stay out of war with Iran even though he's against Israel, and he stayed out. He's done everything I've asked him to do," the US president initially said in a dialogue with reporters during his meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
When, later, reporters asked him if he would go to Turkey for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Summit, with some kind of “gift” for the Turkish president (in response to a question about the F-35 fighter jets and F110 engines that Turkey is seeking to purchase), he replied, “I think so.”
"Turkey is a member of NATO. Some people don't see it that way, but it is. It's a strong member of NATO and I'll probably do something that will make them happy," he added.
"People don't understand how important Turkey is militarily. They have a very strong military. They have a lot of American equipment and a large defense industrial base," Mr. Trump continued.
Asked what would have to happen for the potential sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey to proceed, Donald Trump referred the question to Vice President JD Vance, who said the matter was under review by the US government and that it would be necessary to determine whether certain conditions set out in US law had been met.
"Pete and the entire team are currently reviewing the matter because there are several issues that we need to certify are resolved in order to be in compliance with US law. The President has asked us to do this. We are going through all the necessary stages of verification and confirming that the conditions have been met. This is essentially a matter for Congress and ensuring that Turkey is in compliance with US law so that it can purchase the F-35. We will make appropriate announcements when the process is complete," the US vice president said.
Vance says there is a review by the administration to see if Turkey has complied with the US law so it can receive the F-35 fighter jets. The law forbids Turkey from getting them as long as Ankara is in possession of the Russian S-400s, so "how?" is a fair question right now. pic.twitter.com/fMvN8MO3NO
— Hümeyra Pamuk (@humeyra_pamuk) June 24, 2026
What do the statements mean?
Vance and Trump's statements are another indication that Washington is seriously considering reviving defense cooperation with Ankara.
However, the vice president's reference to the need to comply with US law directly refers to the issue of the Russian S-400 Triumph anti-aircraft systems, which led to Turkey's exclusion from the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II program in 2019.
In other words, the political will in the White House appears to exist, but the essential question remains whether Ankara can meet the legal and institutional requirements set by Congress to reopen the path to the F-35.
Lini një Përgjigje