Turkey Eyes Major Boeing and Lockheed Purchases Ahead of Washington Talks
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is preparing to finalise large-scale purchases of Boeing airliners and Lockheed Martin fighter jets, according to Bloomberg News. The reported deals could involve hundreds of aircraft, alongside more than $10 billion in local production agreements.
Approval from US President Donald Trump will be required before any deal moves forward. Neither the White House, Boeing, nor Lockheed Martin provided immediate comment. Turkey’s Defence Ministry also declined to respond.
Strategic Timing Ahead of US-Turkey Meeting
The reported plans come just days before Erdogan’s scheduled meeting with Trump at the White House on 25 September. The leaders are expected to discuss trade and defence cooperation, including the purchase of Boeing aircraft, an expanded F-16 deal, and renewed talks over Turkey’s involvement in the F-35 fighter jet programme.
Erdogan confirmed on Monday that Turkey intends to raise the subject of acquiring F-35 jets during the meeting. This marks a potential shift in US-Turkey defence ties, which have been strained in recent years.
Balancing Tensions Over Past Disputes
Relations between Ankara and Washington soured in 2019 when Turkey bought Russian S-400 missile systems. That decision led the US to remove Turkey from the F-35 programme and block a planned fighter jet sale.
Since then, Turkey has turned to alternative agreements, including a deal to purchase F-16 jets. The upcoming negotiations with Trump could reopen discussions on advanced US aircraft, signalling a possible reset in bilateral defence cooperation.
with inputs from Reuters