Overview
- President Trump told reporters on Tuesday that he will lift U.S. sanctions on Turkey and that he would “certainly consider” allowing F-35 fighter-jet sales to Ankara after a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
- U.S. law currently bars F-35 transfers to countries that retain Russia’s S-400 air-defense system, so any move to restore sales will require formal legal certification and explicit congressional approval.
- The administration has already moved forward with a related step by notifying Congress of proposed F110 engine exports for Turkey’s KAAN indigenous fighter, signaling partial defense cooperation is proceeding.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly warned that supplying F-35s to Turkey would harm Israel’s qualitative military edge and has urged the U.S. to oppose the sale, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is scheduled to discuss the issue with Israeli leaders.
- U.S. officials are exploring technical workarounds, including disabling Turkey’s S-400s or transferring them to a third country, but those options are unresolved and would affect NATO interoperability and regional balance if implemented.