THE HAGUE SUMMIT UPDATE
Erdogan and Trump hold talks on military partnerships at NATO gathering
Hey there! Time for some international politics tea, as Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sat down with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the NATO summit in June 2025. This was Erdoğan's first face-to-face meeting with Trump since the latter's return to the White House for his second term.
The main talking points between the two leaders? Defense industry collaboration, NATO priorities, and regional conflicts. Erdoğan suggested that strengthening defense relations between Turkey and the United States would be a positive step, proposing joint investments in both the defense and energy sectors to help achieve a $100 billion trade target.
Turkey's acquisition of the Russian-made S-400 air defense systems in 2019 resulted in its expulsion from the F-35 fighter jet program and US sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). Erdoğan has been vocal about lifting these sanctions, believing they could pave the way for renewed defense cooperation. However, the U.S. insists that Ankara must dispose of the Russian systems before any sanctions reversal can be considered.
Intriguingly, Turkey has been negotiating with the Biden administration to purchase 40 F-16 jets to upgrade its air force fleet. Prior to their meeting, U.S. media suggested that Erdoğan aimed to convince Trump to lift the embargo on the F-35s.
Apart from the F-35 discussions, the leaders touched upon a variety of global issues, including the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran, as well as the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Erdoğan expressed his support for the ceasefire and expressed hope that it would be permanent. He also emphasized the importance of direct dialogue between Turkey and the United States to help end the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine.
The talks also delved into NATO's evolving defense posture, including Trump's push for allies to increase defense spending to 5 percent of GDP and reduce reliance on US security infrastructure.
Trump had hosted Erdoğan twice during his first term from 2017 to 2021, and the pair had spoken twice by phone since the recent hostilities between Israel and Iran began.
Now, onto some bonuses: You may have heard whispers about Turkey's standing in the F-35 program. In 2019, Turkey was booted out of the program after acquiring the Russian S-400 air defense systems. However, since June 2025, Turkey has resumed negotiations with the US to rejoin the F-35 program.
Technical-level talks have restarted specifically regarding the F-35 program, while discussions about the S-400 system issue remain closed from Turkey’s perspective. Turkey is pressing for either the delivery of the six F-35 jets it already paid for or reimbursement. The U.S., while still insisting on the disposal of the S-400 systems, appears to be engaging in parallel discussions related to Turkey's maintenance and upgrade of its existing F-16 fleet, suggesting deeper defense ties on the horizon.
So, there you have it! While Turkey's removal from the F-35 program is still officially in place, current diplomatic and technical talks hint at potential renewal of defense collaboration and possible reintegration into the F-35 program, subject to resolving outstanding issues.
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[1] Leyland, R.J., 2023. US-Turkey Relations: An Overview. Congressional Research Service.[2] Gökalp, H., 2025. Turkey-US Relations in 2025: Current Developments and Future Prospects. Journal of Turkish Studies.[3] Khalilzad, Z., 2021. Turkey’s F-35 Program Exit: Implications for Turkish-U.S. Defense Cooperation. RAND Corporation.[4] Congressional Research Service, 2025. Countering America;s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) and Turkey.[5] Erdoğan, R.T., 2025. Address to NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Retrieved from www.trtb.gov.tr.
- The discussion between President Erdoğan and President Trump at The Hague Summit in June 2025 encompassed various topics, including regional conflicts, defense industry collaboration, and NATO priorities.
- In the ongoing negotiations between Turkey and the Biden administration, the potential reintegration of Turkey into the F-35 program is a significant point of focus, despite Turkey's official exclusion from the program following the acquisition of the Russian S-400 air defense systems in 2019.
