U.S. Vice President JD Vance said the U.S. may sell F-35 fighter jets to Turkey but further review is needed to ensure compliance with U.S. law, as reported by The Jerusalem Post. The statement follows President Trump's earlier indication he would likely approve the sale to Ankara.
In a follow-up statement Thursday, U.S. Vice President JD Vance said the administration may sell F-35 fighter jets to Turkey but stressed that further review is needed to ensure compliance with U.S. law. The comment, first reported by The Jerusalem Post, adds a legal caveat to the administration's position.
As The Zioneer reported at 07:27 Jerusalem Thursday, Vance had earlier confirmed that President Trump ordered Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Pentagon officials to examine Turkey's eligibility for the F-35 program, despite Ankara's 2019 purchase of the Russian S-400 air defense system — a move that triggered Turkey's removal from the program under the CAATSA sanctions law. In a separate remark that same morning, Trump said he would likely approve the sale, calling Ankara a strong NATO member.
The evolving position has drawn reactions in Israeli and pro-Israel circles. As The Zioneer reported at 08:32 Jerusalem Thursday, conservative commentator Mark Levin urged Trump to halt the transfer, calling Turkish President Erdogan a 'crazy Islamist.' An Israeli commentator assessed at 08:35 Jerusalem that such a sale could erode Israel's qualitative military edge in the Middle East, and warned of negative surprises in Syria.
The legal review referenced by Vance appears to center on whether the sale can proceed without violating the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) and other domestic legislation. The administration has not specified a timeline for the examination's completion.
4 developments
- StrongTrump says he will likely approve F-35 and engine sale to Turkey
- DevelopingCommentator warns F-35 sale to Turkey would erode IDF's qualitative edge; Syria surprises loom
- DevelopingMark Levin urges Trump to halt F-35 transfers to Turkey
- DevelopingWSJ: Trump administration plans to bypass Congress on $750m jet engine sale to Turkey
Source and signal
- Internal intake