Türkiye eyes multi-billion dollar Boeing, F-35 deals in Sept. 25 Trump-Erdogan summit

Türkiye is preparing to finalize multi-billion dollar aircraft deals with Boeing and Lockheed Martin, including orders for 250 commercial planes and dozens of fighter jets, during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s White House meeting with President Donald Trump on Sept. 25.

The proposed package includes 40 F-35 stealth fighters, 40 F-16 Block 70 Viper jets, and various munitions, including bombs and missiles.

Turkish Airlines is negotiating to purchase approximately 250 Boeing aircraft, consisting primarily of 737 Max jets along with 75 of the 787 Dreamliner widebody models, according to people familiar with the plans.

The deal would support Türkiye’s ambitions to nearly double its fleet over the next decade and establish Istanbul as a global aviation hub rivaling Dubai.

“We have been discussing an order with Boeing for quite some time, but no final decision has been made yet,” Turkish Airlines spokesperson Yahya Ustun told Bloomberg.

The commercial aircraft deal follows Turkish Airlines’ 2023 agreement with Airbus for 230 jets, as the carrier pursues its expansion strategy championed by Erdogan to strengthen Türkiye’s $900 billion economy on the global stage.

Turkish officials acknowledged that Trump may seek concessions regarding the S-400 air defense system to enable F-35 purchases.

Ankara could agree to establish a technical military mechanism to supervise the S-400 defense system in a controlled manner, though it remains opposed to abandoning the system entirely, the officials said.

U.S. officials have consistently maintained that any F-35 resolution depends on Türkiye relinquishing the Russian system, which triggered Congressional sanctions known as CAATSA targeting Türkiye’s defense industry.

Source: Turkiyetoday