Trump suggests F-35 deal to make Türkiye 'very happy'

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he is likely to take action to satisfy Ankara's request for F-35 fighter jets, telling reporters during a White House meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte that he plans to "do something that's going to make him very happy." Speaking alongside the NATO chief, Trump emphasized Türkiye's status within the alliance, stating: "Look, he's a member of NATO. Some people don't consider himself (a NATO member), but he really is. He's a strong member of NATO."

NATO summit in Ankara

Trump confirmed he would travel to Ankara for the NATO leaders' summit scheduled for July 7-8, stating he would not attend if the event were hosted elsewhere. "I'm going out of respect to President Erdogan," he said, adding that "people don't know how big Türkiye is in terms of the military" despite Ankara maintaining a very strong force equipped with substantial American hardware.

S-400 dispute background

The remarks come amid Türkiye's suspension from the F-35 program since 2019, when the Trump administration objected to Ankara's purchase of Russian S-400 missile defense systems — claiming the Russian technology would endanger the stealth fighters. While Türkiye has maintained that no conflict exists between the two systems and proposed a technical commission to study the issue, Vice President JD Vance said on Monday that officials including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth are reviewing whether Ankara has complied with American law to permit the sale.

"There are certain things that we have to certify have happened — that have happened in order to comply with American law. The president has asked us to do that," Vance said, adding that the administration will announce its findings once the review is complete. Ankara maintains that the fighter jets would strengthen not only Türkiye but also NATO's southern flank.