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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, according to Turkish officials familiar with the negotiations who spoke to Bloomberg on condition of anonymity.
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.
Trump expressed optimism about resolving the long-standing F-35 dispute that has strained NATO alliance ties since Türkiye's removal from the program following its purchase of Russia's S-400 missile defense system.
"We are working on many trade and military deals with the President, including the large-scale purchase of Boeing aircraft, a major F-16 deal, and a continuation of the F-35 talks, which we expect to conclude positively," Trump stated on his Truth Social platform.
"President Erdogan and I have always had a very good relationship," Trump said.
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.
President Erdogan emphasized the comprehensive nature of the upcoming discussions in his social media statement.
"In our meeting at the White House with my valuable counterpart and friend, U.S. President Donald Trump, we will discuss many topics, including trade, investment and defense industry with our ally the United States, with whom we have comprehensive strategic relations," Erdogan stated.
"I believe that our meeting with President Trump will contribute to stopping wars and conflicts in our region within the framework of our common global peace vision and will further strengthen cooperation between our countries," the Turkish president added.
The meeting is scheduled after the annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) gathering in New York.
Turkish officials indicated the visit aims to secure deals spanning defense to energy worth tens of billions of dollars.
U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye Tom Barrack told the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) in June that a resolution to the F-35 dispute was possible by year's end.
Boeing shares have risen 22% this year as aircraft orders feature prominently in Trump's campaign to reduce the U.S. trade deficit. The company has deferred comments to Turkish Airlines, while Lockheed Martin referred questions to the U.S. government.
Negotiations for the various aircraft purchases remain ongoing, with the final price tag for F-16s still under discussion. Sources cautioned that the final contours of the deals may change.
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