Trump Signals Openness to Lifting Ban on F-35 Sales to Turkey

Remarks at NATO summit in Ankara revive question of arming a longtime but sometimes strained American ally

President Trump suggested at this year's NATO summit in Ankara that he might be willing to lift the six-year-old U.S. ban on selling F-35 stealth fighter jets to Turkey, according to the Washington Examiner.

The comments reopen a question that has lingered over the alliance for years: whether Turkey, a NATO member and historically close U.S. ally, should regain access to America's most advanced fighter jet program. Turkey was previously a manufacturing partner in the F-35 program before the United States barred sales to Ankara.

Any reversal would mark a significant shift in the U.S.-Turkey defense relationship and would be closely watched by other NATO members, given Turkey's strategic position bridging Europe and the Middle East. Trump did not commit to a timeline or lay out conditions for lifting the ban, but his willingness to raise the idea publicly at the summit signals the issue is back on the table between Washington and Ankara.

— Compiled from reporting by the Washington Examiner.