Turkey and the United States have expressed a shared political will to lift longstanding restrictions on defense industry cooperation, according to a Turkish Foreign Ministry source cited by Reuters on Wednesday, following a series of high-level meetings in Washington.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan began a two-day visit to the US capital on Tuesday, where he met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The talks included efforts to resolve disagreements over sanctions imposed on Ankara and Turkey’s removal from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program.
The source, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said both sides were aligned in wanting to eliminate “obstacles to cooperation in the defense industry field” and that follow-up technical discussions would be held.
The visit follows a phone call between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and US President Donald Trump, which a senior Trump adviser described as “transformational.” Ankara is seeking to build on personal ties between the two leaders, particularly as Turkey pushes for re-entry into the F-35 program and the lifting of US sanctions imposed under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
Reuters reported that Trump had initially resisted calls from within his administration to sanction Ankara after its acquisition of the Russian-made S-400 missile defense system in 2019, before ultimately imposing measures in 2020. The purchase led to Turkey’s suspension from the F-35 program, where it had been both a buyer and manufacturer.
Ankara continues to argue that its removal from the program was illegal and has either sought re-admission or reimbursement for its investment. Reuters cited a Turkish official as saying that Ankara is proposing to resolve the issue by keeping the S-400 systems non-operational.
Discussions have gained new momentum under Trump’s administration, as his shift in policy toward Russia — focused less on isolation and more on ending the war in Ukraine — has altered the tone of transatlantic diplomacy. A Turkish official told Reuters that the change has given Ankara “a new dimension” in talks with Washington.
“If US sanctions on Russia are to be lifted, it becomes illogical for CAATSA to be implemented on third countries,” the official told Reuters.
The meeting between Fidan and Rubio also covered regional developments, including stability in Syria and the Balkans, the war in Ukraine and calls for a ceasefire in Gaza. The two sides also discussed upcoming head-of-state visits, Reuters reported, though no details were given.
Fidan’s visit comes at a politically sensitive time for Erdoğan, whose chief rival, İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, was jailed on Sunday pending trial on corruption charges. His detention has sparked the largest anti-government protests in Turkey since the Gezi Park demonstrations of 2013.
According to Reuters officials familiar with the matter said the Erdoğan-Trump phone call could lead to further progress, though no specific commitments were made.