By Bosphorus News Geopolitics Desk
U.S. President Donald Trump used his July 7 meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara to signal movement on CAATSA sanctions and F-35 access, reopening a defense file that has blocked Türkiye's place in the U.S.-led fighter program since the S-400 dispute.
Erdoğan said Trump had already given Ankara his word on five F-35 aircraft and would also hear Türkiye's case on engine supply for the KAAN national combat aircraft. The exchange turned the first day of the NATO Ankara Summit into a test of whether Washington is ready to ease restrictions on Türkiye's defense access.
Lead item: Türkiye-U.S. defense file returns to the table
Erdoğan said the F-35 file was not new for Türkiye and that Ankara had discussed it with Washington before. "We received the promise for five aircraft," he said, according to the official Turkish transcript. "Mr. Trump also has a promise to us on this issue."
Erdoğan added that Trump "always stands behind his word" and said he believed the Ankara summit would produce a favourable decision on the fighter file. He then linked the discussion to KAAN, saying he would again raise the fighter's engine supply with Trump during the leaders' summit.
Trump answered the F-35 question by leaving the door open. Asked whether Washington would move on the aircraft, he said, "Why wouldn't we do that?" and described the issue as "certainly something to consider," citing improved relations with Türkiye.
On CAATSA sanctions, Trump said U.S. officials were working on removing Türkiye from the sanctions track. "We do not want to sanction our friends," he said. "The situation is very simple."
Trump also praised Türkiye's military weight, calling it "a country that should not be underestimated" and referring to its equipment and soldiers. Türkiye's Directorate of Communications said Trump also stated that he felt compelled to attend the summit because Erdoğan had done everything he could for the NATO meeting.
The comments opened the political channel but did not settle the file. Türkiye was removed from the F-35 program after its acquisition of the Russian S-400 air defense system, and Washington imposed sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act in 2020. Any return to the aircraft program still faces legal, congressional and technical obstacles.
Israeli opposition added another constraint. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has objected to any F-35 transfer to Türkiye, warning that it could affect the regional air-power balance. That leaves the Ankara opening exposed to resistance from Israel and parts of Congress even if the White House moves first.
NATO turns spending pledges into capability
The summit's wider defense agenda moved through the NATO Summit Defense Industry Forum, where Secretary General Mark Rutte presented Ankara as the place where higher spending would be translated into production, procurement and deployable capability.
Rutte said allies and industry were announcing contracts worth "billions, literally billions of dollars." In a separate keynote, he said the money was available but had to be put to work to purchase the capabilities needed to deter and defend.
NATO presented the forum as its main high-level platform for transatlantic defense production, investment and joint procurement. The event brought senior NATO officials, allied governments and industry leaders together around production, cooperation and new capability packages.
The largest lines were drones, surveillance, airlift and air defense. NATO announced more than $40 billion in planned allied investment in counter-drone capabilities over the next five years and said allies would multiply drone operator training by the end of 2027.
Denmark, Finland, Germany and Norway announced the purchase of up to five Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft for NATO's intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance force. Rutte said the aircraft could fly for long periods at high altitude and cover large areas, including open water.
NATO also announced a joint procurement move for Saab's GlobalEye airborne warning and control system, which will replace part of the alliance's aging Boeing E-3 fleet. Rutte said GlobalEye would provide surveillance across air, maritime and land domains from a single platform.
Airlift and tanker capability formed another pillar. Rutte announced the delivery of a tenth Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport aircraft and a new multinational Airbus A400M project. Türkiye was listed among the allies involved in the A400M initiative.
Ankara presses its place in European security
Türkiye also used the summit week to press its role in Europe's security architecture. In a meeting with Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Erdoğan said European Union security efforts should complement NATO and that Türkiye's contribution to the EU's security strategy should not be ignored.
National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler made the same argument at the Allies in Ankara program, saying European security initiatives should remain open to all NATO allies with relevant capabilities, including those outside the EU. "Excluding Türkiye," Güler said, "will not make Europe more secure."
Güler also tied the summit's industrial agenda to collective defense, saying Ankara's message should be clear: commitment to Article 5 must be backed by reliable military power.
Ukraine and side files stay on the margins
Ukraine remained part of the summit text and diplomacy. Allies were expected to reaffirm their Article 5 commitment and keep military support for Kyiv inside the 2026 summit framework, while President Volodymyr Zelenskyy continued to seek more air defense support after renewed Russian attacks.
Trump also connected the Ukraine file to Erdoğan's diplomatic role, saying Russian President Vladimir Putin respected the Turkish leader. The comment kept Ankara's mediation profile in view, but it did not overtake the defense-access file with Washington.
The summit also produced several side files. Protocol discussions around Trump's Ankara program drew attention, while a Czech dispute over representation surfaced after President Petr Pavel and Prime Minister Andrej Babiš clashed over delegation leadership. Türkiye and Canada also signalled movement on free trade negotiations, outside the summit's main defense track.
The first day of the summit produced a clear public opening for Ankara: Trump praised Erdoğan, Erdoğan invoked a five-aircraft pledge, and CAATSA, F-35s and KAAN engines returned to the U.S.-Türkiye defense channel.
Sources: Türkiye's Directorate of Communications, NATO, Reuters, Axios, Al-Monitor, Bosphorus News review and reporting.