[1 Trump per Day] 'Know Trump, know the world!' The Herald Business international desk delivers a daily digest of Trump-related news through its [1 Trump per Day] newsletter and series. Click 'Original Article' below the headline and byline at the top of this page to read more Trump coverage.

US President Donald Trump (right) speaks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Ankara on Tuesday (local time), during Trump's visit to Turkey for the NATO summit. [AP]
US President Donald Trump (right) speaks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Ankara on Tuesday (local time), during Trump's visit to Turkey for the NATO summit. [AP]

US President Donald Trump signaled he may allow Turkey to rejoin the F-35 stealth fighter program, from which it was expelled after purchasing a Russian air defense system, and indicated he is prepared to lift related sanctions — a notable softening from the hard line his first administration took against Ankara.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday (local time) in Turkey ahead of bilateral talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the NATO summit, Trump said he would "make a decision soon" on whether to sell F-35 fighter jets to Turkey.

"The F-35 is a great fighter jet — by far the best fighter jet in existence," he said. "It's certainly something we're going to consider."

Turkey purchased Russia's S-400 surface-to-air missile system in 2019 despite repeated US warnings. In response, Trump's first administration removed Turkey from the F-35 joint development program under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), a measure later codified in the fiscal year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act.

Trump offered a strikingly different assessment on Tuesday, saying Turkey "has been far more loyal to us in many ways than other NATO countries we thought were loyal" and had "been more helpful to the United States than many of our traditional allies."

When reporters asked whether Turkey's possession of the Russian air defense system could conflict with F-35 operations, Trump said he had "absolutely no concern about any of that."

He then said the US would lift sanctions on Turkey, adding, "It's time to do that — we don't want to put sanctions on our friends." The remarks were widely interpreted as referring to sanctions tied to Turkey's F-35 purchase.

"Turkey bought fighter jets from the United States," Trump said. "What are we supposed to do? If the engine needs repair or an upgrade, we have an obligation to do that."

It was not immediately clear whether Trump's reference to Turkey buying "fighter jets" was specifically about the F-35 contract. According to a Congressional Research Service report, Turkey has paid for F-35s but has not received delivery of the aircraft.

Erdogan said the F-35 issue "is not new," adding that Turkey had been promised five jets. "I hope this promise will move forward in a positive direction at this leaders' summit," he said.

Trump acknowledged that "a lot of people" disagree with selling F-35s to Turkey, but maintained that "Turkey has been a great ally." Erdogan personally went to the airfield to greet Trump on his arrival.

Trump cited several reasons for his warmer stance toward Ankara, including Turkey's decision not to intervene militarily on Israel's side during the war with Iran, its cooperation in the ceasefire process, and its role in helping normalize US-Syria relations.

Meanwhile, Trump said he had "a long conversation" with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday (local time) and spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky immediately afterward. "I think something is going to come of it," he said.

Trump renewed his criticism of NATO, saying he was "very disappointed" in the alliance, citing European countries' failure to support the United States during the war with Iran despite America's longstanding contributions to NATO.

He said he "might not have attended" the summit had it not been held in Turkey and at Erdogan's invitation, adding, "We were not treated well in Europe because of what we did in Iran."

Trump also returned to the subject of Danish-controlled Greenland, calling it a reason that has "hurt" the NATO relationship and reiterating that "Greenland should be controlled by the United States, not Denmark."


mokiya@heraldcorp.com