President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Türkiye held a written Q&A with Bloomberg on the current state of affairs.
Recalling his meeting with President Donald Trump of the US at the White House in September 2025, President Erdoğan regarded the decision to remove Türkiye from the F-35 programme on account of its acquisition of military equipment from Russia as unjust and affirmed that he personally communicated this concern to Trump.
President Erdoğan said that Trump's return to office created an opportunity to shift the Türkiye-US relations onto a more reasonable and constructive basis.
"Türkiye's receipt of the F-35 aircraft and its reintegration into the programme are important and necessary"
Regarding the F-35 issue, President Erdoğan said, "Türkiye's receipt of the F-35 aircraft for which it has already paid, and its reintegration into the programme, are important and necessary."
President Erdoğan stated that this is aimed at improving relations with the US and contributing to NATO's defence.
When discussing the potential procurement of F-16 Block aircraft, President Erdoğan emphasised that Türkiye expects the terms to align with the spirit of the NATO alliance, citing the acquisition of Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft as an example.
Regarding the criminal case against Halkbank in the United States, President Erdoğan pointed out that Türkiye believes these allegations are false and that discussions to "prevent the bank from facing unjust penalties" are ongoing, expressing hope to reach a fair outcome that is fully consistent with the law.
Addressing the relations in the field of energy between Türkiye and the US, President Erdoğan stated, "As a result of these steps, we have significantly increased our liquified natural gas (LNG) supplies, particularly from the United States," emphasising that this holds a prominent position within Türkiye’s supply chain.
President Erdoğan underlined that Türkiye's stance is very clear, sharing the view, "We act in line with our national interests and our energy security."
"As a country that relies on imports for a substantial portion of its hydrocarbon requirements, we must pursue a cautious and balanced approach in all matters that may impact our energy security," President Erdoğan remarked.
Highlighting that, thanks to its ability to stay out of the Russia-Ukraine War, Türkiye remains a possible host for future peace talks, President Erdoğan stated that Ankara could provide support for monitoring any ceasefire between the warring countries.
"Türkiye stands as the sole actor able to speak directly with leaders of Russia and Ukraine"
Stating that "Türkiye stands as the sole actor able to speak directly with both (the President of Russia) Mr Putin and the President of Ukraine, Mr Volodymyr Zelenskyy," President Erdoğan went on to say that Türkiye's door remains open to all and that he has conveyed this resolve clearly and on numerous occasions to both leaders.
President Erdoğan firmly denounced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his actions in Palestine, underlining that the International Stabilisation Force envisaged in Gaza would struggle to achieve "legitimacy without Türkiye's involvement".
“We are in the position of a key country for such a mission due to our deep historical ties with the Palestinian side, the security and diplomacy channels we have conducted with Israel in the past, and our regional influence as a NATO member country,” President Erdoğan stated, hammering home the message that they stand ready to take on any responsibility for a lasting peace in Gaza.
Moreover, Head of Communications Burhanettin Duran issued a statement on his NSosyal account concerning President Erdoğan’s remarks to Bloomberg.
Head of Communications Duran stated that President Erdoğan’s remarks unequivocally illustrated that “any mechanism excluding Türkiye would face challenges in gaining the confidence of the Palestinian people,” emphasising Türkiye's pivotal role in this context.