Türkiye and the United States have renewed high-level engagement through fresh Türkiye US defence talks in Washington, D.C. Senior Turkish official Hulusi Akar met influential members of the US Congress to discuss defence cooperation, regional security, counterterrorism and Türkiye’s efforts to rejoin the F-35 fighter jet programme.
The meetings highlight both countries’ willingness to strengthen cooperation despite years of disagreements over defence policy.
Türkiye US Defence Talks Highlight NATO Cooperation
Akar, who chairs the Turkish Parliament’s National Defense Committee, first met Representative Brian Mast, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
The two officials discussed bilateral relations, defence cooperation and recent developments across the Middle East, including the situation involving Iran.
Akar stressed that stronger military cooperation would benefit both countries and reinforce NATO’s collective security. He also repeated Türkiye’s position that returning to the F-35 programme would serve the interests of both allies and the wider alliance.
In addition, both officials agreed that regular dialogue between lawmakers remains essential for maintaining stable relations.
F-35 Programme Remains a Key Issue
The F-35 programme remained one of the most important topics during the meetings.
The United States removed Türkiye from the programme in 2019 after Ankara purchased Russia’s S-400 air defence system. That decision also led Washington to impose sanctions on Türkiye.
However, relations have shown signs of improvement in recent months. After last week’s NATO summit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said US President Donald Trump had expressed a positive approach toward resolving the F-35 dispute. Erdoğan also suggested that Washington had already eased several sanctions.
Although neither government announced a formal agreement, both sides appear willing to continue discussions.
Counterterrorism Cooperation Takes Centre Stage
Akar later met Representative Rick Crawford, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, to discuss regional security and counterterrorism.
During the meeting, Akar outlined Türkiye’s “Terror-Free Türkiye” initiative and explained how the strategy aims to improve regional stability. He also urged closer intelligence sharing and stronger cooperation against terrorist organisations.
Both sides agreed that continued collaboration remains vital for addressing shared security challenges.
Dialogue Continues to Build Trust
The latest Türkiye US defence talks ended with both delegations supporting continued parliamentary engagement and closer cooperation in defence, intelligence and regional security.
Although differences remain, both governments continue to pursue practical solutions that could strengthen trust and reinforce their long-standing partnership as NATO allies.
