Trump eyes trade and military deals with Turkey as Erdogan revisits White House after 6 years

Turkey President Tayyip Erdogan will return to the White House on Thursday for the first time in six years, as US President Donald Trump looks to deepen military and trade ties with Turkey amid a renewed period of warm bilateral relations.

According to a Reuters report, Erdogan is aiming to use the visit to push Washington to lift sanctions and greenlight Ankara’s long-stalled bid to purchase F-35 fighter jets.

His return to Washington comes at a time when Ankara sees an opening with a Trump administration eager to strike high-stakes deals, especially in defence and commerce, added the report.

The previous administration under Joe Biden maintained a cooler distance from Turkey, citing concerns over Ankara’s deepening ties with Russia despite being a Nato ally. But under Trump— who has shown more openness toward Moscow and maintains a personal rapport with Erdogan — Turkey is optimistic about rebuilding stronger ties.

While Trump and Erdogan had a rocky relationship during Trump’s first term, their views have since aligned, particularly on Syria, once a major flashpoint. Both now back the country’s central government, turning a former source of tension into common ground.

But sharp divisions remain, most notably over Israel’s offensive in Gaza, which Ankara has called a genocide. The issue threatens to overshadow what are expected to be largely transactional talks.

At the UN on Tuesday, Erdogan, in power for 22 years, said, “anyone who fails to speak out and take a stand against the barbarity in Gaza shares responsibility for this atrocity”.

Responding later on _Fox New_s, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “World leaders, including Erdogan, could say what they want to say but at the end of the day, when they want something done, they want to come to the White House”.

Turkey hopeful of acquiring F-35 jets

With ties warming, Turkey is hopeful that Erdogan’s meeting with President Trump can revive its stalled ambitions to acquire F-35 fighter jets — once part of a key defence partnership disrupted by U.S. sanctions.

The sanctions, imposed by Trump himself in 2020 over Turkey’s purchase of Russian S-400 missile systems, forced Ankara out of the F-35 programme, where it had been both a buyer and manufacturer.

“Despite expected resistance from US Congress, a green light for Turkish acquisition of F-35s is not inconceivable, provided the political will is there on both sides and diplomats are allowed to hammer out a framework that addresses all the known issues,” Reuters quoted Timur Soylemez, a former Turkish ambassador with experience in US-Turkey relations, as saying.

Ahead of the meeting, Trump said he expected F-35 talks “to conclude positively”.

Erdogan has confirmed that defence cooperation, including F-35s, ongoing F-16 negotiations, regional conflicts, energy, and trade, will be central to the agenda.

A US official said Washington recently drafted a statement of intent to advance several arms sales to Turkey, including new F-16s, which would upgrade its existing fleet. However, the official noted that F-35s were not included, citing legal barriers: the US cannot proceed with sales while Turkey retains the S-400s.

The official added that Turkey requested advanced equipment and upgrades for the F-16s, making the cost per jet even higher than that of a standard F-35. Turkish officials have not yet commented on those pricing details.

Meanwhile, Middle East Eye reported that Turkey may propose a significant shift: amending the multibillion-dollar deal to prioritise jet engines over warplanes and missiles.

The move could support Turkey’s domestic fifth-generation fighter jet project, the Kaan, and lay groundwork for a possible future reentry into the F-35 programme, added the report.

Last year, Ankara had already scaled back its original F-16 procurement, reducing the deal’s value from $23 billion to $7 billion by dropping 79 modernisation kits and focusing on the purchase of 40 F-16 Vipers with ammunition.

Now, senior Turkish officials are reportedly considering scrapping the F-16 acquisition altogether, redirecting the deal toward engine technology critical for the Kaan, reported Middle East Eye.

This evolving strategy is expected to feature prominently during Erdogan’s talks in Washington on Thursday. It remains unclear, however, whether the proposal will be raised directly during his Oval Office meeting with Trump.

Deal on Boeing planes also on agenda

Turkey, Nato’s second-largest army, wants to ramp up air power to counter what it sees as growing threats in West Asia, Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea, where it neighbours Russia and Ukraine.

It wants to procure 40 Eurofighter Typhoons – irking regional US allies Israel and Greece.

At the meeting, Trump is expected to highlight a Turkish agreement to buy more than 200 Boeing Co aircraft, for which Turkish Airlines is negotiating.

The US official told Reuters the talks included 787 and 737 jetliners, and about $10 billion in GE aircraft engines.

With inputs from agencies

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