Trump: We Could Easily Reach a Deal with Turkey on F-35 Jets

U.S. President Donald Trump signaled a possible breakthrough in defense cooperation with Turkey, suggesting Washington and Ankara could “easily” strike a deal over the sale of F-35 fighter jets. Speaking at the White House following a bilateral meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Trump described their talks as “very productive” and praised the Turkish leader’s approach to negotiations.

Productive meeting with Erdoğan

Trump underlined the importance of his talks with Erdoğan, saying: “We had a great meeting today with President Erdoğan of Turkey. It was a meeting where we achieved results on many different issues.” The two leaders also shared a working lunch, where Trump said “many good discussions” took place.

F-35 remarks

On the possibility of resuming the sale of F-35s to Turkey, Trump said: “We could easily agree, maybe we’ll do it, yes. Of course, it depends on him doing something for us as well.” He went on to call Erdoğan “a very smart man” and said he believed Turkey’s president would “do the right thing” when it came to military procurement.

Middle East diplomacy

Turning to the Gaza conflict, Trump revealed that the U.S. is engaged in intensive talks with regional leaders to reach a ceasefire. “We want the hostages back, we want the remains returned, and we want peace in the region,” Trump said. He added that a potential deal could be “very close,” which would mark “a first in almost two thousand years.”

TikTok deal approved by China

In the same briefing, Trump announced that China had approved the transfer of TikTok’s U.S. operations to American and international companies. He said he had spoken with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who gave his approval to move forward. Trump emphasized that TikTok’s algorithm would now be under U.S. control, removing what Washington considered a national security threat.

Other issues on the table

Trump also touched on the Russia-Ukraine war, saying Moscow’s campaign was “failing badly” and adding that the conflict should have ended long ago. On Israel, he stressed that he would not allow the annexation of the West Bank, stating firmly: “That will not happen. It’s time to stop.”