Türkiye has renewed its push to rejoin the U.S.-led F-35 fighter jet programme, with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan arguing that reinstatement is essential not only for relations with Washington but also for NATO’s collective security.
Ankara has been excluded from the next-generation stealth aircraft project since 2019, after purchasing Russia’s S-400 air defence system.
Türkiye now says returning to the programme would help strengthen NATO’s southern flank and repair ties with the United States.
In written comments to Bloomberg, Erdoğan said he intended to draw on his relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump to mend a partnership that fractured nearly a decade ago.
Türkiye had been a manufacturing partner in the programme and paid about $1.4bn for aircraft that were never delivered.
President Erdoğan said he raised the issue directly with Trump during a meeting at the White House in September 2025, describing Ankara’s removal from the programme as "unjust".
“With Trump’s return to office, an opportunity has emerged to move Türkiye–U.S. relations onto a more reasonable and constructive footing,” he said, using the country’s official diplomatic name.
He added that Türkiye’s receipt of the aircraft it had already paid for, and its reintegration into the programme, were “important and necessary” for strengthening NATO’s collective defence.
The primary obstacle remains Türkiye’s acquisition of the Russian-made S-400 missile system.
U.S. defence officials have long argued that operating the system alongside the F-35 could compromise the aircraft’s stealth technology.
In a sign of possible compromise, Türkiye is reported to be exploring the return of the S-400 systems to Russia. Erdogan discussed the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a summit in Turkmenistan last month.
Tom Barrack, the U.S. ambassador to Türkiye, said late last year that the dispute could be resolved within four to six months.
While seeking a return to the F-35 programme, Ankara is also negotiating the purchase of upgraded F-16 Block 70 aircraft.
Erdoğan said Türkiye expected terms consistent with NATO solidarity, citing its recent acquisition of Eurofighter Typhoon jets as evidence of continued Western defence cooperation.
Relations between Ankara and Washington remain strained by the case involving Türkiye Halk Bankasi AS, the state-owned lender charged in the United States with helping Iran evade sanctions.
The bank has denied the allegations.
Erdoğan dismissed the case as misguided but said talks were continuing to protect the lender from what he described as “unjust penalties”, expressing hope for a fair outcome.
Energy has also become an area of engagement. Under pressure from Washington to reduce reliance on Russian supplies, Türkiye has increased imports of liquefied natural gas, particularly from the United States.
“We have significantly increased our LNG supplies, especially from the U.S.,” Erdoğan said, adding that American gas now holds a “prominent position” in Türkiye’s energy mix.
Despite these efforts, Russia remains Türkiye’s largest energy supplier, accounting for about 61% of oil imports and roughly 40% of gas consumption.
Türkiye’s strategic importance has been underscored by the war in Ukraine and instability across the Middle East.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Ankara has declined to impose sanctions on Moscow while supplying armed drones to Kyiv and invoking the Montreux Convention to restrict military traffic through the Black Sea.
Erdoğan said Türkiye was uniquely positioned to facilitate dialogue between Moscow and Kyiv, noting that it maintains direct contact with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
He also said any international stabilisation force in Gaza would lack legitimacy without Türkiye’s participation, citing what he described as the country’s historical ties with Palestinians.
“Our political will is clear,” Erdoğan said. “We stand ready to take on responsibility for a lasting peace.”
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China has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their dispute through dialogue after Chinese envoy Yue Xiaoyong met Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, as fighting between the two neighbours entered its eleventh day.
Iranian civilian and military officials have pledged their obedience to the new leader, Ayatollah Seyed Mojtaba Khamenei, with President Masoud Pezeshkian saying his leadership “will herald a new era of dignity and authority for the Iranian nation.”.
Almost 2,000 people have been evacuated from Iran via Azerbaijan since conflict erupted in the Middle East.
Kazakhstan has evacuated more than 7,300 citizens from the Middle East since regional tensions escalated, using both air and land routes to bring nationals home while closely monitoring political developments and potential economic effects linked to rising oil prices.
Trump says the United States "don’t need people that join wars after we’ve already won," targeting his criticism at UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Israel continues to fire missles at strategic sites in Iran and Gulf regions report more strikes from Iran.
Global oil prices continue to rise, currently surpassing $119 a barrel this Monday, an almost four year high following fresh U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting oil depots. Stock markets shares slumped on fears the conflict with Iran could disrupt shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is a hardline cleric with strong backing from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. His rise signals continuity in Tehran's anti-Western policies.
Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as supreme leader on Monday (9 March), signaling that hardliners remain firmly in charge, as the week-old U.S.-Israeli war with Iran pushed oil above $100 a barrel.
Entry and exit across the state border between Azerbaijan and Iran for all types of cargo vehicles, including those in transit, will resume on 9 March, according to a statement by the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan.
U.S. President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke by phone on Sunday as tensions between Washington and Westminster deepened over the conflict involving Iran. The call came less than a day after Trump criticised Britain’s response to U.S. strikes on Iranian targets.
Norwegian police are searching for a suspect after an explosion at the U.S. embassy in Oslo on 8 March caused minor damage but no injuries, in what authorities say may have been a deliberate attack linked to the Middle East crisis.
An explosion damaged a synagogue in the Belgian city of Liège early on Monday (9 March) in what authorities said was an antisemitic attack that caused damage but no injuries.
The Group of Seven (G7) finance ministers will meet on Monday to discuss a global rise in oil prices and a joint release of oil from emergency reserves coordinated by the International Energy Agency, the Financial Times reports.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 9th of March, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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