Ex-Turkish defense chief says US shows ‘positive approach’ on defense issues

Former Turkish national defense minister said Wednesday that US officials have shown a "positive approach" toward resolving long-standing defense disputes, expressing optimism that issues including Türkiye's return to the F-35 program, F-16 procurement, and KAAN fighter jet engines are moving toward resolution.

Speaking to Anadolu after meetings in Washington with members of Congress and civil society representatives, Hulusi Akar, who now serves as chair of the Turkish parliament's National Defense Commission, said discussions with US counterparts had been encouraging.

"We discussed these issues with our colleagues and counterparts. We truly saw that they had a positive approach," Akar said.

He added that the talks covered several major defense programs.

"We were pleased to see that issues such as the engines for the KAAN fighter aircraft, the F-16s, and Türkiye's re-entry into the F-35 program appear to be moving toward resolution. We hope that these matters will also be resolved."

Akar said the positive atmosphere followed last week's NATO summit in the Turkish capital Ankara, which he described as important for Türkiye's security, future, and position within the alliance. He also called the meeting on day one of the summit between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Donald Trump encouraging for bilateral ties.

"We had several issues between us," he said, noting in particular the F-35 and F-16 fighter jets, the S-400 Russian missile defense, and US Patriot missiles. "We believe these issues are moving toward resolution, and we expect progress."

He said similar sentiments emerged during meetings on Capitol Hill.

"We saw positive approaches from our counterparts on these matters, so we are hopeful. God willing, these problems will be resolved, and relations between Türkiye and the United States will continue on a stronger footing. This will benefit not only our two countries but also contribute significantly to regional stability and world peace."

Akar said Türkiye remains committed to its NATO obligations and will continue to serve as a strong and reliable ally while pursuing closer defense cooperation with the United States.

During his visit to Washington, Akar also attended a ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the defeated July 15, 2016 coup attempt. Reflecting on the events, he said the Turkish people united behind Erdogan's leadership to foil the coup.

"Our country, under the leadership of our president, fought a glorious, honorable, and successful struggle. Thankfully, under our president's leadership, our people—our military, civilians, police, gendarmerie, intelligence services, and citizens—united as one, with one heart and one fist. They demonstrated to the entire world the 'army-nation' understanding that we have always emphasized, and they foiled the treacherous coup attempt."