Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan expressed optimism about securing a U.S. sanctions waiver and advancing Türkiye’s bid to acquire F-35 fighter jets, reiterating Ankara’s position that there should be no defense industry restrictions between NATO allies.
His remarks followed U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement on Tuesday – during his visit to Ankara for a NATO summit – that Washington would lift sanctions imposed on Türkiye over its purchase of Russia’s S-400 air defense systems.
Speaking to Turkish broadcaster TRT Haber, Fidan said there was strong political will in both Ankara and Washington to resolve the remaining issues in bilateral defense ties.
“There is political will on both sides. Our relevant ministers are working on the issue, and, God willing, we will reach a conclusion soon,” he said.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan:
There will be no problem for Türkiye to get the F-35 that we had paid for long before, five or six years ago.
We paid for those F-35s. They’ve been sitting in a hangar to be picked up by us.
Source: The National News pic.twitter.com/b5sECe8mck
— Clash Report (@clashreport) July 10, 2026
Background: Sanctions and the F-35 Program
Washington imposed sanctions on Türkiye in 2020 under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) following Ankara’s acquisition of the Russian S-400 missile defense system. Türkiye was also barred from the F-35 stealth fighter sales program.
Fidan said two key issues continue to shape U.S.-Türkiye defense relations: the lifting of CAATSA sanctions and Türkiye’s return to the F-35 program.
Turkey is seeking Russia’s consent to transfer air defense systems it bought from Moscow to a third country, an effort aimed at clearing the way for the purchase of US-made F-35 fighter jets https://t.co/BOXT7FcYy3
— Bloomberg (@business) July 10, 2026
“CAATSA is one of them. The issue of the F-35 jets is another. God willing, we will reach a conclusion soon. I do not think there will be any problems in this regard,” he said.
Trump Signals Support for F-35 Sale
Trump signaled support for a potential F-35 sale to Türkiye during his Ankara visit.
“We’re going to be taking the sanctions off,” Trump said as he met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The U.S. Secretary of State and Treasury Secretary are now working to reconcile the legal and policy frameworks to enable the deal.
Trump on Erdogan & Netanyahu:
I like President Erdogan. He rolled out the red carpet. He’s terrific.
But Bibi said rough things yesterday about Türkiye and Erdogan.
And I said, you know, I spoke to him. I said he could have gone into the war because he doesn’t like Israel… pic.twitter.com/QqTN7OkBk9
— Clash Report (@clashreport) July 8, 2026
“Türkiye has been, in many ways, much more loyal than other countries that we think would be loyal. … It’s a great plane, it’s the best, currently the best plane by far. And it’s certainly something we will consider,” Trump added.
Israel Opposes F-35s for Turkey
However, the proposed sale faces significant opposition from a key U.S. ally.
Israel has publicly pushed back against the prospect, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urging Trump directly not to sell the F-35 jets to Türkiye, arguing that the move would “destroy the power balance in the Middle East.”
Netanyahu claimed the Turkish president is “not exactly a model ally of the United States,” telling CNN: “he threatens to destroy my country, the one and only Jewish state.”
BASH: Trump is considering giving Turkey these F-35s
NETANYAHU: It would destroy the power balance in the Middle East … I wouldn’t do that pic.twitter.com/OwMuNmlQz3
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 7, 2026
Tensions between Türkiye and Israel have escalated sharply over Israel’s devastating war in Gaza, with both sides exchanging rhetorical fire over the past year. Ankara has described Israel as “a burden humanity can no longer bear” – a sentiment that underscores the deepening diplomatic rift.
“This is not a force for peace and stability. When you give them that power, you’re going to see aggression in its wake,” Netanyahu argued.
Fidan’s Broader Vision for NATO
Meanwhile, Fidan – whose country is considered a major power within the NATO alliance – said the group should focus not only on burden-sharing but also on building a common defense industrial ecosystem among member states.
“The concept of burden-sharing in NATO has ceased to be merely a concept and has now become an implementable policy,” he said, describing the summit hosted by Türkiye in Ankara as “the most important outcome” for the alliance.
The top Turkish diplomat called the summit an “extraordinary achievement” for Turkish foreign policy.
Fidan said the defense industry is no longer viewed merely as a supporting element of military power but has become a core pillar of national and collective security.
“The future of NATO must be decided collectively by all alliance members,” he said, adding that while countries have sought greater industrial self-reliance, it has become increasingly clear that no nation can sustain the defense ecosystem on its own.
“Building a shared ecosystem among alliance members is just as important as burden-sharing,” he added.
Turkish Defense Industry
Commenting on NATO’s increased defense spending and the alliance’s new procurement initiatives, Fidan said effective implementation would deliver significant benefits for Türkiye’s defense industry.
“If alliance members come together with this understanding and build a defense industrial ecosystem, there will be no problems either in supply or in market access. That would enable the industry to sustain itself. Otherwise, it would require continuous subsidies, and that is not something any country can shoulder on its own,” he said.
Referring to the recently signed $50 billion procurement agreements announced at the summit, Fidan described the deals as “extremely important” for the future growth of Türkiye’s defense industry.
He said Türkiye is investing in strategically critical technologies, including air defense systems, missile systems, fighter aircraft, next-generation unmanned aerial vehicles, drone swarms and cyber capabilities.
“Developing these within a collective framework would reduce the financial burden while strengthening defense resilience,” he said.
Muhammad Luqman is Associate Editor at Views News Now. He writes on wide-ranging issues including economy, South Asia, the Middle East, agriculture, economy and innovation. Luqman has worked some of the leading news organizations and won acclaim for his original and research-based works.
