By Emel Akan Contributing Writer  ANKARA — President Donald Trump arrived in Ankara on Tuesday to attend the two-day NATO leaders’ summit.  He began with a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the presidential complex, where he reiterated that the United States is considering selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey.   “It’s a decision we’re going to make. We have a very good relationship,” Trump said when asked if he would sell the jets to Ankara.  “Turkey has been in many ways much more loyal than other countries that we think would be loyal. So, something certainly we consider.”  Due to sanctions, Washington cannot legally deliver an F-35 to Turkey.  Trump, however, said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are developing a plan to address the issue.  “We’re going to be taking the sanctions off,” Trump said. “It’s time to do that.”  NATO’s 32 member countries and key partners are meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday in the Turkish capital to review progress on defense spending commitments made at last year’s summit in The Hague.   Trump landed at Etimesgut Air Base just before 2 p.m. local time. This marks the first visit to Turkey by a sitting U.S. president since President Barack Obama attended the G20 summit in Antalya in 2015.  In September 2025, Erdogan visited the White House for the first time in six years.  A key sticking point between the two countries has been Turkey’s 2019 purchase of the Russian S-400 air defense system.  This led to U.S. sanctions on the Turkish defense industry under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act and its removal from the F-35 program.  Despite this, Trump has defended Erdogan, publicly blaming the Obama administration for failing to sell American Patriot missiles to Turkey.   Trump had signaled in the past a desire to roll back sanctions and potentially allow Turkey back into the F-35 program.   When Trump touched down in Ankara, Erdogan welcomed him with a warm reception, followed by a state arrival ceremony and a formal honor guard review at the presidential complex.  The leaders sat down for their bilateral meeting before attending the NATO leaders’ social dinner.  In his opening remarks at the meeting, Trump praised his relationship with Erdogan, calling it “good chemistry.”  “Because of the relationship that we have, it’s all gone very well. I want to say I have a lot of respect for the president,” he said.  Both leaders would discuss trade, military cooperation and Iran, Trump said.  The post Trump: US to decide on F-35 sales to Turkey appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal. ...read more read less