By Bosphorus News Geopolitics Desk
US President Donald Trump rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's opposition to a potential sale of F-35 fighter jets to Türkiye, saying decisions over American defense exports would be made by Washington.
"Nobody tells me what we should be selling," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on July 27. He described Türkiye as a "tremendous ally," called President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan "a friend of mine" and praised his role in Syria.
Trump acknowledged that Türkiye was "not a big fan" of Israel or Netanyahu but said relations with Ankara remained strong.
His remarks came before Netanyahu's meeting with Trump in Washington, where the two leaders were expected to discuss Iran, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and disagreements over a possible F-35 transfer to Türkiye.
Netanyahu has publicly urged the United States not to provide Türkiye with F-35 aircraft or advanced fighter engines, arguing that such a move could weaken Israel's air superiority and alter the military balance in the Middle East.
Trump's remarks do not amount to approval of an F-35 transfer. Türkiye would still have to satisfy US legal and technical conditions tied to the S-400 system before any sale could proceed.
Türkiye was removed from the F-35 program in 2019 after taking delivery of the Russian-made S-400 air defense system. Washington maintains that operating the S-400 alongside the F-35 could expose sensitive aircraft data and compromise the fighter's security.
The State Department informed Congress in July that Türkiye had not yet met the legal requirements for receiving the aircraft, despite Trump's public willingness to consider a sale.
Any return to the program would require action on the S-400 issue, the removal or waiver of sanctions and congressional approval for the transfer.
Trump's remarks undercut Israel's effort to block the sale, but Türkiye still faces unresolved US legal and technical conditions before any transfer can move forward.
Sources: White House, The Times of Israel, The Jerusalem Post, TRT Haber, Bosphorus News review and reporting.