Turkey's F 35 Wish List: A Bargaining Chip in Trump's NATO Playbook As President Trump begins his visit to Ankara, it's clear that this year's NATO summit has become a prime opportunity for him to flex his diplomatic muscles and reshape the alliance according to his preferences.
Amidst strained relationships with traditional US allies and a renewed push for burden sharing among NATO members, Turkey has emerged as an unexpected beneficiary of Trump's leniency.
The news that Trump is considering allowing Turkey to re enter the F 35 program, from which it was excluded in 2019 due to its use of Russian military technology, has sparked debate within Congress and beyond.