U.S. Vice President JD Vance said the administration is reviewing whether Turkey has met the legal requirements under U.S. law to receive F-35 fighter jets, according to Amichai Stein (i24NEWS). Vance noted that President Trump ordered the review, which is primarily a matter for Congress, and that an announcement will follow once the examination is complete.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance stated on Thursday morning that the Trump administration is reviewing whether Turkey has met the legal conditions required to receive F-35 fighter jets. The remarks, reported by Amichai Stein (i24NEWS), follow President Trump's earlier signal Thursday that he 'may do something that makes Erdogan very happy' on the F-35 issue — suggesting the two statements are part of the same unfolding thread. Vance emphasized that the review is primarily a congressional matter, and that the outcome will be announced once the legal assessment is complete.
As The Zioneer reported earlier Thursday, Trump said he might take action favorable to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on F-35 sales, describing Erdogan as a 'strong guy who does everything I ask of him.' The administration also approved the sale of engines for Turkish fighter jets worth hundreds of millions of dollars earlier this week, reflecting a broader warming of U.S.-Turkey defense ties.
What remains open: Vance did not specify a timeline for the review's conclusion, nor did he indicate whether the administration considers Turkey to have satisfied the legal requirements under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which previously blocked F-35 transfers over Turkey's acquisition of the Russian S-400 missile system.
2 developments
- StrongTrump says he will likely approve F-35 and engine sale to Turkey
- DevelopingMark Levin urges Trump to halt F-35 transfers to Turkey
- StrongTrump says deal signing possible this weekend in Europe, with Vance attending
- DevelopingCommentator warns F-35 sale to Turkey would erode IDF's qualitative edge; Syria surprises loom
Source and signal
A single-sourced dispatch is never rated Confirmed or Strong. Its Signal strengthens only when a second, independent source corroborates it.
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