Trump ‘doesn’t want issues with sale of F-35 jets’

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump told Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan that he didn’t want any problems with the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Ankara, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on Wednesday. Speaking to reporters following Nato meetings in Brussels, Mr Çavuşoğlu said that Turkey saw no issues in procuring the Lockheed Martin jets despite efforts in the US Congress to block the sale. Mr Trump made the comment to Mr Erdoğan during talks at a recent G20 summit, Mr Çavuşoğlu said.

The US Senate has demanded a block on the sales of the jets to Turkey unless Mr Trump certifies that Turkey is not threatening Nato, purchasing defence equipment from Russia or detaining US citizens.