President Donald Trump said the U.S. will consider selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, according to a statement reported Tuesday afternoon. The remark follows a series of signals from Trump in recent days, including an earlier comment that Turkey 'was loyal' on the program.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States "will consider" selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, according to a statement circulated at 16:29 Jerusalem. The remark is the clearest commitment yet from Trump following a day of conflicting signals and escalating claims from Ankara.
The thread began at 08:36 Jerusalem with a series of reports from multiple Israeli news outlets (i24NEWS, N12, Army Radio) citing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's claim that the U.S. had promised five F-35s during a meeting with Trump. Trump initially responded that he had "no concern" about the sale. By 16:18 Jerusalem, Trump stated that Turkey "was loyal" on the F-35 program and that he would need to decide. The Zioneer had earlier published an analysis at 09:25 Jerusalem urging skepticism of the reported pledge, noting Trump's history of unfulfilled promises to other nations.
The potential sale has drawn sharp criticism from pro-Israel commentators, who warn that equipping Turkey with stealth fighters would erode Israel's air superiority in the Mediterranean and risk technology leakage to Russia and Iran, as The Zioneer reported in a June 25 analysis. The U.S. removed Turkey from the F-35 program in 2019 after Ankara acquired the Russian S-400 missile system. Trump is also reportedly expected to visit Turkey for a NATO summit, as The Zioneer reported on July 3.
The White House has not provided a timeline for the consideration, and Trump's remark stops short of a commitment to sell. The nature of the reported promise to Erdogan remains unverified, and the U.S. legal review—ordered by Vice President Vance—has not been completed.
23 developments
- StrongTrump says he will likely approve F-35 and engine sale to Turkey
- DevelopingTrump plans to restore Turkey's F-35 access during NATO summit, reports say
- StrongTrump expected to visit Turkey, meet Erdogan, hints at 'big bag of gifts' including F-35 deal
- StrongTrump says US will lift CAATSA sanctions on Turkey, clearing path for fighter jet sales
Source and signal
- Internal intake