President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that talks regarding the F-35 continue. Erdoğan also stated regarding the national fighter jet KAAN, “A new story will begin.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan answered journalists’ questions regarding the F-35 program on his return from his visit to Kazakhstan. Stating that contacts regarding Türkiye’s return to the F-35 fighter jet program are ongoing, Erdoğan also delivered notable messages about the national combat aircraft KAAN project. Erdoğan said, “Our KAAN project is progressing day by day. Once the process is completed, a new story will begin in this field.”
President Erdoğan’s statements revealed not only the strategic importance Türkiye places on domestic and national projects in the defence industry, but also that contacts with the United States regarding the F-35 continue.
Erdoğan: “Our Demands Regarding the F-35 Are Clear”
Responding to journalists’ question, “Is there any new development regarding Türkiye’s return to the F-35 program?”, Erdoğan stated that Ankara’s expectations are clear.
President Erdoğan said in his statement:
“Our demands regarding the F-35 are clear. Our colleagues continue their contacts with their American counterparts. We hope to achieve a positive result.”
Following Türkiye’s removal from the programme, long-standing diplomatic and technical talks between Ankara and Washington have once again come to the forefront, while Erdoğan’s remarks were interpreted as a sign that the process has not been completely closed.
Critical Message Regarding the KAAN Project
President Erdoğan also devoted significant attention in his statement to Türkiye’s fifth-generation fighter jet project, KAAN.
Emphasising that the national combat aircraft programme is only a beginning, Erdoğan made the following assessment:
“KAAN is a first step for us. We can and will build even better and more powerful ones. No one should have any doubt about that.”
Developed in line with Türkiye’s goal of reducing foreign dependency in the defence industry, the KAAN project has recently drawn attention both for its technical progress and international partnerships.
SAHA EXPO 2026 Figures Drew Attention
President Erdoğan also shared important figures regarding the level reached by the defence industry during SAHA EXPO 2026 held in Istanbul.
Erdoğan stated that more than 150,000 visitors were hosted at the fair and over 200 new products were introduced. He also said that approximately 8 billion dollars in business volume was achieved during the event, adding that the Turkish defence industry has risen to a remarkable position on a global scale.
A New Era in Türkiye’s Defence Industry
In recent years, Türkiye has continued to increase its domestic production capacity in the defence industry through major investments in national fighter aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, engine systems, and electronic warfare technologies.
In particular, projects such as KAAN, HÜRJET, GÖKBEY, and various unmanned platforms are at the centre of Türkiye’s high-technology-focused defence strategy.
President Erdoğan’s statements are regarded as important messages showing that Türkiye is continuing the F-35 process on diplomatic grounds while also pressing ahead without slowing down on domestic fighter aircraft projects.
