Turkey signed a one-year contract earlier this month with a lobbying firm with close ties to US President Donald Trump to get Ankara back into the F-35 fighter jet program, according to a report in the Middle East Eye.
Political analysts say the move shows that the US president’s promises at a NATO summit in Ankara in July that he would lift sanctions on Turkey have not materialized, and Ankara is now trying to shore up its position in Washington.
Turkey has reportedly considered selling the Russian-made S-400 air defense system for which it was expelled from the F-35 program to a third country, possibly the United Arab Emirates, in an effort to persuade the US to lift sanctions. Ankara also hopes to take delivery of six F-35 fighter jets that were built for Turkey but have been stored in the US for years.
The new lobbying agreement is seen as an attempt to strengthen political and bureaucratic contacts in Washington.
The Middle East Eye reported on August 26 that the Turkish Ministry of Defense signed a deal with Ballard Partners on August 8. According to the contract, the company will receive a monthly payment of $200,000. The total value of the agreement will be $2.4 million. The goal is to represent Turkey in the US government and Congress.
