The Turkish government has retained Ballard Partners — a lobbying firm with deep ties to President Donald Trump — to represent Ankara’s Ministry of National Defense in Washington, as Turkey and the U.S. continue to improve ties under the Trump administration despite growing animosity between Ankara and Jerusalem. 

Brian Ballard, a prominent Florida Republican fundraiser and former Trump campaign official, signed the $2.4 million annual agreement on Aug. 8, according to an Aug. 21 Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) filing with the Justice Department. The contract runs through August 2027, with Ankara paying the firm $200,000 per month.

Under the terms of the deal, Ballard Partners will provide government relations, strategic consulting and advocacy services with federal agencies and Congress.

The firm’s team on the contract includes former Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL), a pro-Turkey and pro-Israel voice on Capitol Hill who co-founded the Congressional Caucus on U.S.-Turkey Relations in 2001.

Speaking with Jewish Insider, Wexler framed the partnership as aiming to strengthen U.S.-Turkish ties while also attempting to mend severely strained relations between Ankara and Jerusalem.

“Turkey is an important ally of the United States, and the primary purpose is to take advantage of the trusted relationship that President Trump and [Turkish] President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan enjoy,” Wexler told JI. “The sidekick to this is to also hopefully improve Turkish-Israeli relations to the extent possible, and to help what is now a very dangerous situation and turn it into a more favorable dynamic for both Israel and Turkey, and of course that would be very positive for the United States as well.”

Addressing potential pushback from pro-Israel supporters given Turkey’s increasingly hostile stance toward Jerusalem, Wexler pointed to his own “pro-Israel credentials” alongside Brian Ballard’s “staunchly pro-Israel” record, arguing that closer U.S.-Turkey security coordination ultimately enhances Israeli security.

“I would make an argument, for those that care deeply about Israeli security and Israeli interests, that the U.S. and Turkey cooperating closely together will always be more beneficial to Israel than a lesser situation,” Wexler said. “I think that’s a basic premise that has stood the test of time.”

As an example, Wexler noted that Turkey could play a constructive role in stemming the flow of weapons to Hezbollah through Syria.

“Israel obviously has achieved enormous success in terms of their military campaign against Hezbollah, but there are challenges yet to be overcome … one of which is stopping the flow of weapons to Hezbollah, so that they cannot rebuild,” he said. “One of the actors that is capable of assisting the effort to stop that flow of weapons is certainly Turkey, and I think those that care deeply about Israel and its strategic interests should always keep that in mind.”

Jerusalem has been outspoken about its opposition to Turkish involvement in Syria, including recently striking a Syrian airbase where Israel claimed Turkish troops were preparing to deploy.

While the contract does not detail specific policy objectives, the push arrives as Ankara continues to seek readmission into the F-35 advanced fighter jet program. Turkey was removed from the program after purchasing Russian S-400 air-defense systems, which triggered federal sanctions.

Wexler declined to state whether the F-35 would be an explicit target of the lobbying campaign, but noted he expects Ankara to fulfill the necessary U.S. conditions.

“In terms of the F-35, obviously the S-400 missile system has always been a prerequisite for the United States, whether it was under previous administrations or this one, that Turkey make a proper accommodation,” Wexler said. “I believe that is what President Trump expects, and I expect that’s what would happen in the context of whatever it is the Trump administration and the Erdogan government agreed to.”

The Ballard advocacy team also features Thomas Boodry, a former special assistant to Trump who managed legislative affairs as a senior director at the National Security Council until April 2025, when he was ousted during a staff shakeup under former National Security Advisor Mike Waltz. Syl Lukis, a senior partner at Ballard, rounds out the team.