President Donald Trump said Wednesday he has not decided whether to restore Turkey to the U.S.-led F-35 fighter jet program but is leaning toward bringing the NATO ally back into the program and said his administration will lift sanctions imposed on the country.
Speaking alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a news conference at the NATO summit, Trump praised the Turkish leader's cooperation with the United States when asked whether he had decided to readmit Turkey to the multinational fighter jet program.
"I haven't totally made up my mind, but my inclination is to say, look, he's done everything, he's helped us in so many different ways," Trump said. "And you know who else has been good to us, China."
Trump also announced plans to remove U.S. sanctions on Turkey.
"I can tell you we're going to be taking the sanctions off. OK? I don't want him to waste his time answering that question," Trump said, referring to Erdogan.
Turkey was removed from the F-35 program in 2019 after acquiring Russia's S-400 air defense system, despite repeated warnings from Washington that the missile system could compromise the security of the advanced stealth fighter.
The United States later imposed sanctions on Turkey's Presidency of Defense Industries under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, or CAATSA, over the purchase.
Erdogan has repeatedly sought Turkey's return to the F-35 program, arguing that the country invested in the aircraft's development and manufactured components before its removal.
Trump did not provide a timeline for lifting the sanctions or explain what conditions, if any, Turkey would have to meet before rejoining the F-35 program.
His comments nevertheless signal a potential shift in U.S. policy toward Turkey after years of strained defense ties over Ankara's purchase of Russian military equipment.
Any move to formally restore Turkey's participation in the F-35 program is likely to face scrutiny in Congress, where lawmakers from both parties have opposed reinstating Turkey while it continues to possess the S-400 system.