Turkey is intensifying its efforts to rejoin the U.S.-led F-35 fighter jet program — from which it was formally excluded in 2019 after purchasing Russia’s S-400 air defense system. In early August, the Turkish Ministry of National Defense signed a $2.4 million contract with Ballard Partners, a Washington-based lobbying firm closely tied to former U.S. President Donald Trump. According to U.S. Department of Justice filings cited by Middle East Eye, the agreement calls for monthly payments of $200,000 to the firm over the course of the contract.
A Firm with Deep Ties to Trump’s Inner Circle
Ballard Partners is led by Brian Ballard, a prominent Republican fundraiser from Florida who played a key role in Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. The firm’s connections to Trump’s orbit are underscored by two high-profile figures who previously worked with it: Susan Wiles, now Chief of Staff to former President Trump, and Pam Bondi, former U.S. Attorney General under Trump. These associations reinforce the firm’s access and influence within Republican political circles.
Not the First Time
This is not Turkey’s first engagement with Ballard Partners. In 2017, during Trump’s first term, Ankara hired the same firm under a $1.5 million contract — one of Ballard’s earliest major Washington contracts after opening its office there. That earlier effort reportedly focused on easing U.S. sanctions against Turkey’s state-owned Halkbank. Notably, the Department of Justice under Trump recently dropped criminal charges against the bank — a development that has drawn attention amid renewed lobbying activity.
Key Personnel on the Team
The current team representing Turkey includes Robert Wexler, former Democratic U.S. Representative from Florida and co-founder of the Congressional Caucus on U.S.-Turkey Relations and Turkish Americans in 2001. Also on board is Thomas Budri, who served as a senior legislative affairs director at the National Security Council and as a special assistant to President Trump until April 2025. Budri’s departure followed internal White House reorganizations linked to the exit of then-National Security Advisor Mike Waltz. Reports at the time indicated Trump dismissed Budri and five other officials shortly after meeting with far-right activist Laura Loomer.
The new contract marks a strategic shift: unlike the 2017 agreement, which involved broader diplomatic and financial advocacy, this one is spearheaded directly by Turkey’s Ministry of National Defense — signaling a focused, high-priority push to reverse the F-35 exclusion and restore defense cooperation with the United States.