Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said recent talks with US President Donald Trump on the F-35 fighter jet programme have yielded promising steps forward.

Speaking to journalists on his return flight from Azerbaijan’s Victory Day celebrations, Erdogan expressed hope that Washington will fulfil its commitments.

He emphasised that acquiring the F-35s would grant Türkiye a powerful operational and technological advantage in the region.

“Technical-level talks and progress are important. Of course, there is also the issue of the F-16 and F-35. We achieved a fruitful outcome regarding the F-35 in our recent meetings with US President Trump. I hope the promises made will be fulfilled and that we will gain strong capabilities with the F-35s," Erdogan said.

Eurofighters

Turning to broader air force developments, Erdogan confirmed that the Eurofighter deal is progressing well with the United Kingdom and Germany.

He added that negotiations are ongoing with Qatar and Oman, opening possibilities to purchase additional Eurofighters from the Gulf countries.

“There’s also a possibility of obtaining Eurofighters from their fleets. If these agreements come through, it’ll be a positive step for our country,” Erdogan said.

Erdogan also stressed domestic defence industry efforts, noting that local initiatives will further strengthen Türkiye’s strategic reach and technological independence.

“These steps, together with our national defence projects, will secure stronger capabilities for Türkiye in both technology and air operations,” he concluded.