Trump moves to revive Turkey’s access to F-35 fighter jets

President Donald Trump is preparing to restore Turkey’s path into the F-35 fighter jet program, potentially reversing a 2019 US ban tied to Ankara’s purchase of Russia’s S-400 missile defense system. Administration officials told US media that Trump is expected to signal that intent to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the NATO summit in Ankara, though the timing and mechanism remain unsettled. US law passed in 2020 bars F-35 sales unless the administration determines Turkey no longer possesses the S-400s. Officials have discussed options including transferring the systems to a third party or rendering them inoperable, but no final arrangement has been set.