US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he would “certainly consider” selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, as he sat alongside Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan ahead of a NATO summit in Ankara. “It’s a decision we’re going to make… It’s certainly something we would consider,” Trump said during a meeting with Erdogan at the latter’s presidential palace, noting that “we have a better relationship with Turkey, and Turkey has been in many ways much more loyal than other countries.”
Trump Expected to Support Sale
While his remarks suggested that he was still deliberating the move, Reuters — citing two sources familiar with the matter — reported earlier Tuesday that Trump is expected to throw his support behind the sale during his visit in Ankara. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview on Monday that Israel is opposed to the sale, and on Tuesday confirmed that he urged Trump against the move. Turkey’s leaders have likened Israel’s conduct in Gaza to that of the Nazis during the Holocaust, and Jerusalem has also warned that selling the stealth jets to Ankara would undermine Israel’s qualitative military edge in the region, which US law commits to maintaining.
Trump Praises Erdogan as a Friend
But Trump has long liked the strongman Erdogan, whom he again called a “friend” during their Tuesday meeting. Trump also praised Turkey for not “getting into the fight” — on the side of Iran, in the recent war — given Turkey’s acrimonious “relationship with Israel.” The F-35, built with stealth technology that allows it to evade enemy detection, is considered the world’s most advanced fighter jet. Israel has operated the aircraft for over a decade, building multiple squadrons, and remains the only Middle Eastern country to possess it.
Israel’s Concerns Over Qualitative Edge
The Israel Air Force currently operates 48 of the aircraft with another 52 units on order. Israel is anxious to preserve its qualitative military edge in the region by having the most advanced aircraft, and has previously worked to prevent the sale of the F-35 to other nearby countries, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Turkey joined a multinational program to purchase F-35 fighter jets from the United States, but was removed from it in 2020 over its purchase of Russian S-400 air defense systems.
Sanctions to Be Lifted
The US placed sanctions on Turkey over that Russian purchase under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, but Trump declared on Tuesday, when asked, that Washington would be lifting them. Erdogan said he hoped for a positive result on the matter, telling reporters that Trump had previously promised to give the NATO ally five jets and that the US president “always keeps his promises.”
S-400 Issue Remains a Sticking Point
Despite the warm relationship, Turkey’s 2019 acquisition of the Russian S-400 air defense system has remained a sore spot in bilateral ties. In response to Turkey’s purchase, Washington in 2020 imposed sanctions on a major Turkish defense company and removed Turkey from the F-35 stealth fighter jet program, where Ankara was also a production partner. Congress also passed a law prohibiting any F-35 sales to Turkey as long as Ankara retained the S-400s, saying the Russian system posed a security risk to US-made combat aircraft. Currently, the US law does not permit Turkey to operate or possess the S-400 system if it wishes to rejoin the F-35 program. One solution that has in recent weeks gained traction is to send the Russian system to a third country, although an agreement on this has yet to be sealed, Reuters reported. It was unclear if such a move would be accepted by Russia, which requires end-user obligations in weapons sales.
Trump Promises to ‘Make Them Very Happy’
When Trump was asked late last month by reporters if he would have any “gifts” for Turkey, he said: “I’m going to probably do something that will make them very happy.” Speaking alongside Trump at the time, Vice President JD Vance said a review was underway to see if Turkey had complied with the US laws so that it could receive the F-35 fighter jets. “Pete and the entire team are reviewing this right now, because there are certain things that we have to certify have happened… in order to comply with American law,” he said, referring to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
Strong Political Will to Remove Sanctions
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said last week that Erdogan and Trump share a “strong political will” to remove US sanctions imposed on Turkey, though they declined to lay out a timetable. In December, US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack said the warm ties between the two leaders helped the sides hold “the most fruitful conversations we have had on this topic in nearly a decade.” Last month, the Trump administration formally notified Congress of its intention to sell dozens of jet engines worth more than $700 million for Turkey’s first indigenous combat jet, called KAAN. Some lawmakers from the US Congress have raised objections, but the administration chose to go ahead with the sale anyway.
