F-35

Turkey has signed a $2.4 million contract with the lobbying firm Ballard Partners, which is close to President Donald Trump. The goal: to promote its return to the F-35 aircraft program, from which it was expelled following the purchase of Russian S-400 defense systems. Ankara is now considering selling the systems to a third country to remove the obstacle to the deal.

More than a month after Trump signaled he was interested in selling the stealth fighter jets to Ankara, the move is still stuck. The Russian S-400 system in Turkey's possession is at the center of the dispute. In the US Congress, they are demanding that Erdogan get rid of it completely.