Turkey says it is closer than ever to an F‑35 agreement with the United States amid Greek criticism

Turkey’s deputy foreign minister Levant Gümrükçü told an Atlantic Council event in Washington that Ankara is "much closer than ever" to reaching a deal with the United States on the F‑35 fighter programme. He said the talks cover legal, political and economic aspects and that Turkey hopes the U.S. will honour any commitments made. Gümrükçü added that negotiations are part of a broader effort to deepen defence‑industry cooperation, noting Turkey’s earlier purchase of Russian S‑400 missiles after being unable to obtain similar systems from allies. He described the opposition expressed by members of the U.S. Congress and by Greece as “redundant politics”. The remarks come amid long‑standing Greek‑Turkish tensions, which some commentators link to historic attempts at rapprochement such as the 1930 Venizelos agreements, but the immediate focus is on the potential reintegration of Turkey into the F‑35 programme and the regional diplomatic fallout.