Turkish lawmakers hold constructive talks with US Congress on F-35, defence ties

A Turkish parliamentary delegation held "constructive and solution-oriented" talks with senior US lawmakers during a recent visit to Washington, focusing on defence cooperation, NATO, counterterrorism and the F-35 fighter jet programme. Hulusi Akar, chairman of the Turkish Parliament's National Defence Committee, said the delegation met with key committee chairs from the House of Representatives.

Key Issues Discussed

The delegation, which included lawmakers from the ruling AK Party, the main opposition CHP and the MHP, presented Türkiye's positions on national security, the defence industry, F-35s and CAATSA sanctions. Akar said the talks were part of an official parliamentary visit arranged in advance by Türkiye's Embassy in Washington.

Legislation for Veterans and Families

Separately, Akar said the parliamentary defence committee is continuing work on legislation to strengthen support for families of fallen soldiers and military veterans. The committee has held 28 meetings with relevant institutions and consulted veterans, associations and families of fallen service members while preparing the legislation.