Episode 506: The F-35, the S-400, and the Future of U.S.–Turkey Defense Relations

Today, Morgan, Jeffrey, Andy, and Jess break down President Trump’s meeting with Turkish President Erdoğan following a busy week on the international stage. At the center of the talks: Turkey’s push to rejoin the F-35 fighter jet program after being expelled during Trump’s first term for buying Russia’s S-400 air defense system. While the tone was more conciliatory than in past years, no concrete commitments emerged — leaving open questions about Turkey’s role as a NATO ally and U.S. partner.

What does Turkey actually want from Washington, and what should the U.S. demand in return? Can Erdoğan rebuild trust without giving up the S-400? Should Trump leverage Turkey’s bid for NATO influence to extract concessions on Hamas, Israel, and Eastern Mediterranean disputes? And does letting Ankara back into the F-35 program reward bad behavior, or offer an opportunity to lock in long-term strategic gains?

Check out these sources which informed our experts’ opinions: 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8jm3lr7vkyo 

@morganlroach

@NotTVJessJones

@andykeiser

Jeffrey Wells

Like what we're doing here? 

Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. 

And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter!

We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/62rUpUuOl48 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.