Turkey recruits Trump insiders for new Washington lobbying push
Turkey recruits Trump insiders for new Washington lobbying push Submitted by Ragip Soylu on Wed, 08/26/2026 - 13:05 The Turkish defence ministry signed a $2.4m contract with Ballard Partners as Ankara seeks to rejoin the F-35 programme Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Donald Trump during the Nato Summit in Ankara, Turkey, 8 July 2026 (Ludovic Marin/AFP) Off The Turkish…
The Turkish defence ministry has awarded Ballard Partners, a lobbying firm with significant ties to US President Donald Trump, a $2.4 million contract under a one-year agreement. Ballard Partners, led by Brian Ballard, a prominent Florida Republican fundraiser who previously worked on Trump's presidential campaign, will receive $200,000 per month.
The firm's mandate is to provide government relations services, strategic consulting, and advocacy services to Turkey before the federal government. This contract is not the first time Ballard Partners has worked with Turkey; in 2017, Turkey hired them under a $1.5 million contract. The new agreement differs from the previous one as Turkey's defence ministry is now the principal client.
Ankara aims to rejoin the F-35 fighter jet programme, which was removed in 2019 due to the purchase of the Russian-made S-400 air defence system. The contract includes former Democratic congressman Robert Wexler, a senior partner at Ballard Partners, and former Trump special assistant Thomas Boodry, who was dismissed amid controversy over opposition research presented by far-right activist Laura Loomer.
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