New disclosures filed with the U.S. Department of Justice and reviewed by independent outlet Middle East Eye reveal that the Turkish government has signed a 12-month, $2.4 million contract with Ballard Partners, a high-powered Washington lobbying firm with deep, long-standing ties to former U.S. President Donald Trump. The agreement was finalized on August 8 between the firm and Turkey’s Ministry of National Defence, with the contract stipulating a monthly payout of $200,000 for a scope of work that includes direct government relations outreach, strategic policy guidance, and targeted advocacy before the U.S. federal government, along with regular updates for Turkish officials on congressional activity and shifting U.S. policy priorities.
This new engagement marks not the first collaboration between Ballard Partners and the Turkish government. Back in 2017, during Trump’s first presidential term, Ankara contracted the firm for $1.5 million, in what was one of Ballard’s first landmark deals after establishing its Washington, D.C. presence. At that time, public reports indicate the firm’s core focus was advocating on behalf of Turkish state-owned financial institution Halkbank, which was facing a high-profile sanctions evasion case. The charges against the bank were ultimately dropped earlier this year by the Justice Department during the Trump administration.
Unlike the 2017 contract, the new agreement lists Turkey’s defense ministry as the lead client, signaling a clear strategic priority for Ankara: repairing its relationship with Washington to regain access to the F-35 stealth fighter jet program. Turkey was removed from the multinational fifth-generation fighter program in 2019 after moving forward with a purchase of Russia’s S-400 air defense system, a move that triggered U.S. sanctions and the halting of all F-35 deliveries to Ankara. Six F-35 jets already manufactured for Turkey have remained stored in the U.S. ever since, and Turkish leaders have made clear they aim to take delivery of these completed aircraft as part of any new agreement. Last month, Middle East Eye reported that Ankara was actively exploring a compromise plan that would see it sell the S-400 system to a third country, widely reported to be the United Arab Emirates, in exchange for the U.S. rolling back sanctions and readmitting Turkey to the F-35 program.
The Ballard Partners lobbying team assembled to advance Turkey’s policy goals includes a roster of well-connected political figures from both major U.S. parties. Leading the effort is former Democratic Congressman Robert Wexler of Florida, a long-time prominent pro-Turkish voice in Washington who co-founded the bipartisan Congressional Caucus on U.S.-Turkey Relations and Turkish Americans in 2001. Wexler also currently serves as president of the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace and maintains extensive established connections within pro-Israel policy circles, a valuable asset for Ankara as it navigates complex regional dynamics.
Joining Wexler on the team is Thomas Boodry, who most recently served as a special assistant to Trump and senior director for legislative affairs at the White House National Security Council until April 2025. Boodry was among six senior administration officials dismissed shortly after Trump met with far-right activist Laura Loomer, who presented opposition research claiming the officials were disloyal to the president’s agenda. Rounding out the core team is Syl Lukis, a senior partner at Ballard Partners and one of firm founder Brian Ballard’s most trusted long-time associates.
Founded and led by Brian Ballard, a top Republican fundraiser based in Florida who was a key campaign official for Trump’s past presidential runs, Ballard Partners has emerged as one of the most influential lobbying operations in Washington in recent years. Earlier this year, Bloomberg reporting documented that multiple top Trump administration officials are alums of the firm, including current White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, the firm brought in more than $30 million in federal lobbying revenue, outpacing every other major lobbying firm on K Street to claim the top spot in industry earnings for the quarter.