President Donald Trump is heading to next week’s NATO Summit in Turkey hinting he may hand host Recep Tayyip Erdogan a long-sought prize: American fighter jets.

Asked last week whether he was bringing “a big gift bag” for Erdogan as Ankara pushes to buy F-35 fighters and F110 jet engines, Trump told reporters alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, “Yeah, I think so,” adding he would “probably do something that’s going to make him very happy.”

Vice President JD Vance said during the same Oval Office meeting that Washington was exploring ways to sell Turkey the aircraft, provided Ankara satisfies U.S. security requirements.

The comments, made ahead of the July 7–8 NATO Summit in Ankara, point to a potential multibillion-dollar opportunity for America’s defense industry.

The F-35 Lightning II is manufactured by Lockheed Martin, while the F110 engine sought by Turkey is produced by GE Aerospace. Any agreement would reopen a market that effectively closed in 2019, when the United States removed Turkey from the F-35 program after Ankara purchased Russia’s S-400 air-defense system.

U.S. officials argued at the time that operating the Russian system alongside the F-35 could expose sensitive information about the stealth fighter to Moscow.

Erdogan’s leverage stems in part from his personal relationship with Trump.

Trump will become the first sitting U.S. president to visit Turkey since Barack Obama traveled there in 2015, and he made clear the trip reflects his relationship with Erdogan.

“I would not have gone for most people,” Trump said. “But he called me up… And so I’m going out of respect to President Erdogan.”

The visit also carries significance for the NATO alliance.

Trump has repeatedly questioned America’s military commitment to Europe and has suggested reducing the U.S. role within NATO, comments that have unsettled many European allies and increased the importance of Turkey’s role as summit host.

The two leaders have maintained an unusually close relationship for years.

Trump has publicly described Erdogan as “a hell of a leader” and “a good friend,” and the two have frequently discussed issues including Syria, Gaza, and the broader Middle East.

Turkey also joined Trump’s Board of Peace overseeing the Gaza ceasefire effort. Trump recently said he asked Erdogan to keep Turkey out of the conflict with Iran and that the Turkish leader agreed, although there was no indication Ankara had planned to become directly involved.

Any fighter-jet sale would still face the same national-security hurdle that derailed the previous agreement.

Vice President Vance emphasized that any transaction would require Turkey to comply with U.S. security conditions regarding its S-400 missile-defense system.

Turkey has spent years seeking a pathway back into the F-35 program while also pursuing purchases of upgraded F-16 fighters and the GE Aerospace F110 engines needed for its own domestic fighter aircraft development.

For Lockheed Martin and GE Aerospace, restoring Turkey as a customer would represent a meaningful commercial victory in a global fighter-aircraft market where individual orders often reach tens of billions of dollars.

Not everyone views the improving relationship positively.

Soner Cagaptay of the Washington Institute said Trump and Erdogan “clicked” personally during Trump’s first administration.

Henri Barkey of the Council on Foreign Relations argued Erdogan is using the NATO summit to strengthen his domestic political standing amid criticism over his government’s treatment of political opponents and the media.

Philip Gordon, now with the Brookings Institution and formerly national security adviser to Vice President Kamala Harris, said Trump has often appeared to maintain warmer relationships with authoritarian leaders than with many traditional U.S. allies, arguing Erdogan is “taking full advantage of it.”

For Turkey, the summit represents an opportunity to convert diplomatic momentum into tangible economic and military gains.

A renewed fighter agreement would strengthen Turkey’s air force, support its expanding defense industry and symbolize a return to one of the world’s most advanced military aviation programs after being removed six years ago.

Before its expulsion, Turkey had planned to purchase approximately 100 F-35s, making it one of the largest international customers in the program.

For Lockheed Martin and GE Aerospace, that remains the ultimate prize.

Whether Trump delivers the “gift” he hinted at—and under what conditions—will be one of the most closely watched outcomes when the two leaders meet in Ankara next week.

JBizNews Desk | Ankara
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