A Turkish defense official said Friday that meetings with senior US lawmakers in Washington were held in a "positive and constructive" atmosphere, expressing optimism about the US sale of F-35 fighter jets to Türkiye.
Speaking to Turkish media during his visit to Washington, Hulusi Akar, chairman of the Turkish Parliament's National Defense Committee, said the Turkish delegation met with the chairs and members of the House Armed Services, Intelligence and Foreign Affairs committees, as well as the head of the US delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.
Defense and security cooperation dominated the talks, Akar said, with discussions focusing on bilateral ties and regional and global developments.
"Overall, the meetings took place in an extremely positive, productive and constructive atmosphere," Akar, the former national defense minister, said.
Akar said Rep. Mike Turner, head of the US delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, told reporters after their meeting that he believed Türkiye could rejoin the F-35 program, describing the comments as an encouraging sign.
Turner described discussions on Türkiye’s potential return to the F-35 fighter jet program as “very promising,” following meetings held during the July 7-8 NATO summit in Türkiye's capital Ankara.
Following the NATO summit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his US counterpart Donald Trump has taken a "positive approach" on delivering F-35 fighter jets to Türkiye while also saying that US sanctions against Ankara have been largely removed.
In 2019, during Trump's first term, the US suspended Türkiye from the F-35 program after objecting to its purchase of Russia's S-400 missile defense system, claiming the Russian system would endanger the fighter jets.
Türkiye has repeatedly said there is no conflict between the two systems and proposed a commission to study the issue. Ankara also says it fulfilled its obligations on the F-35s and that its suspension violated the rules, maintaining that the jets would strengthen not only Türkiye, but also NATO.
'Our hope is that these contacts will further strengthen friendship'
Akar said the Turkish delegation repeatedly stressed to US counterparts that relations between Türkiye and the US are "more important than ever."
He also highlighted Türkiye's counterterrorism efforts, saying Ankara had made significant progress while respecting the territorial integrity and political unity of neighboring Iraq and Syria.
"Our only concern is to eliminate terrorism at its source so that it no longer poses a threat," Akar said.
He stressed that defense and security cooperation between Türkiye and the US is strategically important not only for the two allies but also for NATO's deterrence, collective defense and broader Euro-Atlantic security.
"Our hope is that these contacts will further strengthen friendship, cooperation and mutual understanding between Türkiye and the United States," Akar said, adding that stronger ties would benefit both countries as well as regional and global peace.
Asked whether discussions included reports that Türkiye could transfer its Russian-made S-400 air defense systems to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a way to overcome US sanctions, Akar said the issue had not been discussed in those terms.
"We did not say -- nor are we saying -- that the S-400s are going to the UAE," Akar told the reporter.
"We discussed and conferred with them, noting that an agreement has been reached to resolve this matter and put it on the right track as soon as possible, and that there may be developments in the near future leading to the resolution of this issue causing friction between us."
Akar said US officials indicated they were receiving "positive information" through their own channels and suggested that a solution to the S-400 dispute could be reached in the near future.
"Ultimately, the S-400 issue will be resolved one way or another. We anticipate, hope for, and look forward to certain developments in this regard, and it appears likely to happen ... After all, the S-400 is the reason cited for the suspension of the F-35 program; once that issue is removed, the F-35 program will naturally resume," he added.
Türkiye's National Defense Ministry said Thursday that work on S-400 defense systems is continuing.
"Work on the S-400 Long-Range Regional Air and Missile Defense Systems is continuing in multiple dimensions," spokesman Zeki Akturk said, adding it will be shared with the public "when there are concrete developments."
Akar also addressed Israeli opposition to a possible US decision to allow Türkiye back into the F-35 program, saying Turkish officials told their American counterparts that Washington should not allow Israel to "exploit" the US.
"America is our friend and ally, and we strive to work together with them. However, there are matters to which America needs to pay attention. As a friend, we have pointed out to them that Israel is behaving in a very spoiled manner and exploiting America -- attempting to carry out certain agendas using American funds and causing the deaths of thousands of people (in the Gaza Strip) ...We have expressed that America must now put a stop to this spoiled behavior, that doing so is essential for regional stability and for preventing the conflict from spreading," Akar said.
During his meetings in Washington, Akar emphasized that the regional issues, including Armenia-Azerbaijan, Iran, and the Russia-Ukraine war, were also on the agenda.
