WASHINGTON — The United States moved to fully restore its defense partnership with Turkey on Tuesday, as President Trump announced the lifting of sanctions and a potential resumption of F-35 fighter jet sales following direct talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the NATO summit.
The decision signals a dramatic reset in bilateral relations, prioritizing a transactional national security arrangement over concerns previously voiced by establishment lawmakers. Trump pointedly criticized the alliance's structure, stating that without the summit's location and Erdoğan's leadership, his attendance was not guaranteed.
"I was very disappointed with NATO," the president told reporters. "And frankly, if it weren't held in Turkey, where my friend happens to be a very strong leader — a very strong, uh, person — it's possible that I wouldn't have attended. I felt I had to attend."
Economic Nationalism and Defense Industry
For American workers, the reopening of the F-35 program to Turkey represents a potential boon for domestic manufacturing lines that rely on foreign military sales to stabilize production costs. The lifting of sanctions removes a barrier that had blocked Ankara from re-entering the joint strike fighter program, a move that directly benefits the U.S. aerospace industrial base and its skilled labor force.
This shift comes as the administration continues to evaluate foreign entanglements through a lens of direct American economic and strategic advantage. The decision starkly contrasts with the foreign policy calculus that has long privileged commitments to certain allies whose interests do not align with domestic economic growth.
Alliance Realignment
The summit highlighted a continuing divergence from traditional Western security postures. By strengthening ties with Turkey, the administration is signaling a preference for bilateral deals that deliver concrete defense cooperation and industrial returns over maintaining consensus with European partners whose defense spending has consistently lagged.
The move effectively sidelines lobbying efforts that previously sought to isolate Turkey, refocusing policy on immediate strategic and economic deliverables for the United States rather than on secondary regional disputes.