Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan answered questions from Hande Fırat on CNN Türk live broadcast, evaluating a wide range of topics from relations with the US to Israel policy, from the NATO summit to the Iran agreement.
Noting that US President Donald Trump's administration has shown strong will to lift CAATSA sanctions, Fidan said, "Both leaders and both countries want it to be lifted." The Minister stated that lifting the F-35 sales ban is an easier issue than joining the program as a producer, and emphasized that the Trump administration cannot explain why weapons are sold to many non-NATO countries on commercial grounds but not to Türkiye.
Fidan noted that when Türkiye-US relations are good, regional stability is positively affected, and he directed harsh criticism at Israel. Describing Israel as "a disruptor by the definition of the entire international community," Fidan said, "As long as Netanyahu and his gang are there, I do not believe this political stance will change."
The Foreign Minister argued that Israel is seeking a new enemy to change its poor international image, saying "Israel is not only Türkiye's problem, but the world's problem," and added that no hesitation will be shown toward any actor that conflicts with national interests.
Touching on the US-Iran agreement, Fidan said that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's years-long profile as a "trustworthy, honest partner" was decisive in Trump's thanking Erdoğan.
Announcing that the NATO summit in Ankara will be the largest summit in the history of the alliance, Fidan said, "It will be a place where NATO 3.0 is defined and adopted." Stating that a Defense Industry Forum will become part of the official program for the first time at the summit, the Minister emphasized that both great cooperation and great competition will emerge in the defense industry field, and these two elements must be managed together.
