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US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (local time) said his administration will soon decide whether to sell F-35 fighter jets to Turkey despite a congressional ban, while also announcing that sanctions imposed over Ankara's purchase of the Russian S-400 air defence system would be lifted, CNN reported.
"We have a better relationship with Turkey, and Turkey has been in many ways much more loyal than other countries that we think would be loyal," Trump said, arguing that many believe Turkey should be allowed to purchase the F-35 despite its acquisition of the Russian-made S-400 system. Calling the F-35 "the best plane by far", Trump said the proposed sale was "certainly something we will consider." US officials said Trump is expected to signal this week that he is willing to sell F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, reversing a ban imposed during his first term that was later codified into law by Congress, as reported by CNN. CNN reported that it remains unclear how the Trump administration intends to overcome the congressional restrictions on the sale. Trump also described Turkey as an "extraordinary" ally and said the US had an obligation to honour orders that the country had already placed for the military aircraft. Responding to a question on US sanctions imposed over Turkey's procurement of the Russian S-400 air defence system, Trump said the measures would be removed soon. "We're going to be taking the sanctions off," Trump said, adding, "We don't want to sanction friends," CNN reported. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has indicated that Ankara believes it is close to securing a deal to purchase US-made F-35 fighter jets and American-made engines for Turkey's indigenous KAAN fighter aircraft, CNN reported. Speaking after his bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump, Erdogan said Turkey had "been promised five jets." "We believe that President Trump also has made a promise on this separately... and we are hoping that the news we have previously received is going to be productively tested towards the future," Erdogan said. Expressing optimism over the outcome of the talks, the Turkish President added, "President Trump has always been a man of his word, and hopefully, with respect to the F-35, we will have a fruitful outcome and a decision from this leaders' summit." On Turkey's plans to acquire US-made engines for its KAAN fighter jet programme, Erdogan said he believed Trump had conveyed encouraging signals. "President Trump has given us some good news, and I believe that he will repeat that good news again, and I think with this good news, probably, I will be thanking him during this summit," Erdogan said, as quoted by CNN. (ANI)
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