US President Donald Trump said Wednesday evening that he has not yet made a decision on the sale of F-35 stealth fighters to Turkey, amid a series of contradictory statements from the administration on the matter.
President Donald Trump said Wednesday evening that he has not yet decided on the sale of F-35 stealth fighters to Turkey, adding another twist to the administration's rapidly shifting stance on the issue. The statement comes after a series of conflicting signals over the past 24 hours. On Tuesday afternoon, reports indicated that Trump had said Turkey would receive the jets and planned to restore its access to the F-35 program during the NATO summit. However, later Tuesday evening, Trump said he would not sell the aircraft, warning that stealth fighters in Ankara's hands would 'destroy the balance of power' in the Middle East. The latest remark leaves the decision seemingly unresolved.
Earlier on Tuesday, July 7 at 16:30 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that Trump had told reporters Turkey would receive the F-35s, and that he planned to restore access during the summit. By 19:44 Jerusalem the same day, Trump reversed course, stating he would not proceed with the sale. The contradiction was preceded by a June 25 statement in which Trump said he would likely approve the sale, calling Turkey a 'strong' NATO ally. The Zioneer's coverage has tracked these shifts, noting on June 25 that the sale posed a strategic danger to Israel's air superiority, and on July 7 that the commitment should be met with skepticism given Trump's pattern of unfulfilled promises.
As The Zioneer reported, the proposed sale has drawn sharp criticism from Israeli officials and American commentators. On July 6, Mark Levin blasted the reported plan, calling Erdogan 'crazy' and warning it would empower a leader hostile to Israel, Greece, and the Kurds. The Zioneer's analysis also noted that Turkey's naval doctrine and Erdogan's anti-Israel rhetoric compound the risk, along with potential technology leakage to Russia and Iran.
What remains open is the final decision: Trump's latest statement contradicts his own words from hours earlier, and no timeline for a resolution has been provided. The administration's official position remains unclear, and the F-35 sale continues to hang in the balance despite multiple reported pronouncements.
4 developments
- StrongTrump says he will likely approve F-35 and engine sale to Turkey
- StrongTrump says he would not sell F-35s to Turkey, warns of regional imbalance
- DevelopingVance says US may sell F-35s to Turkey, needs legal review
- StrongTrump expected to visit Turkey, meet Erdogan, hints at 'big bag of gifts' including F-35 deal
Source and signal
- Internal intake