Trump says he is weighing F-35 sale to Turkey despite Netanyahu’s objections

30.12.2025

By Turkish Minute

Source:https://www.turkishminute.com/2025/12/30/trump-says-he-is-weighing-f-35-sale-to-turkey-despite-netanyahus-objections/

US President Donald Trump said Monday he is considering selling Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, during a visit to the US leader’s Florida club by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who opposes the move.

“We’re thinking about it very seriously,” Trump said when asked by a reporter about a potential F-35 deal during a joint press briefing after their meeting.

The United States removed Turkey from the F-35 program in 2019 after Ankara, a NATO ally, bought the Russian-made S-400 air defense system.

Trump has maintained a close relationship with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan even as Erdoğan has sharply criticized Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli officials have argued that Turkey obtaining the F-35 could shift the regional balance in a future conflict. Israel and Turkey have been in dispute over Syria, which borders both countries.

Asked about the prospect of conflict between Israel and Turkey, Trump called Erdoğan “a very good friend.”

“We’re not going have a problem,” Trump said of Israel and Turkey. “Nothing’s going to happen.”

During his first term in office, Trump agreed to sell F-35s to the United Arab Emirates after it recognized Israel.

He has more recently voiced support for selling F-35s to Saudi Arabia, despite a longstanding US policy aimed at ensuring Israel maintains a military advantage over other countries in the region.

© Agence France-Presse