Trump hosts Erdogan as US considers lifting ban on F-35 sales to Turkey

US President Donald Trump held talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House on Thursday and signalled that the United States might soon lift its hold on sales of advanced fighter aircraft to Ankara.

During Trump’s first term, the US removed Turkey, a Nato ally, from its flagship F-35 programme after Turkey bought an air defence system from Russia.

US officials worried that Turkey’s use of Russia’s S-400 surface-to-air missile system could be used to gather data on the capabilities of the F-35 and that the information could end up in Russian hands.

Trump started his two-hour meeting with Erdogan by offering hope that a resolution to the matter could be found during the leaders’ talks.

“He needs certain things, and we need certain things, and we’re going to come to a conclusion. You’ll know by the end of the day,” Trump said.

The US president added to Erdogan, “And I think you’ll be successful with buying the things” you would “like to buy”.