President Trump explicitly rejected Israeli opposition to the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, saying 'no one will tell me whether to sell planes or not' and describing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as 'my friend,' according to Israeli media reports. The remarks escalate the public rift between Washington and Jerusalem over the deal, which the Israeli government has opposed on security grounds.
President Trump doubled down on his support for the F-35 sale to Turkey Monday evening, citing his personal friendship with President Erdogan and dismissing Israeli objections. "No one will tell me whether to sell planes or not, Erdogan is my friend," Trump said, according to a report from Yediot Ahronot. The statement came minutes after The Zioneer reported that Trump had already pushed back on Netanyahu's opposition, saying "no one tells us what to sell."
The exchange marks the latest flashpoint in the widening US-Israel rift over the deal. Over recent weeks, Trump has signaled a growing inclination to approve the sale — first stating he would not sell F-35s to Turkey (July 7), then saying he would likely approve the sale of both the jets and F-110 engines (June 25), and most recently noting his tendency to approve while praising Erdogan's assistance (July 8). The Israeli government has consistently opposed the transfer, arguing it would undermine Israel's regional military edge.
Trump's explicit reference to Erdogan as a friend, combined with the blunt rejection of Israeli input, underscores the administration's prioritization of US-Turkey relations over long-standing security coordination with Israel. No further official response from the Prime Minister's Office has been reported as of Monday evening.
8 developments
- DevelopingTrump leans toward approving F-35 sale to Turkey, praises Erdogan's help
- StrongTrump says he will likely approve F-35 and engine sale to Turkey
- DevelopingTurkish FM Fidan criticizes US arms-sale denial to Ankara as 'unjustified'
- StrongTrump says he would not sell F-35s to Turkey, warns of regional imbalance
Source and signal
- Open-source intake