Trump on the sidelines of the NATO summit: the United States will consider the possibility of selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey

At a joint press conference, Trump did not rule out the sale of modern stealth aircraft to Turkey. According to him, Ankara was “loyal” to Washington, sometimes even more than other countries from which the United States expected support. “That’s a decision we have to make,” Trump said.

Erdogan, for his part, said that the issue of supplying F-35s to Turkey has been discussed with the United States for a long time. According to him, Turkey has already been promised five stealth fighters, and expressed hope that at the NATO summit the issue of F-35 supplies will be able to move forward.

Trump also praised Erdogan and Turkey’s military might. Speaking about the war with Iran and Ankara’s relations with Israel, the US President said that Türkiye could have “joined the other side” but did not. “Perhaps they didn’t do it because of me,” the US President said.

Israel is concerned about the possible sale of the F-35 to Turkey. According to Axios, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously asked Trump not to sell Ankara weapons that would modernize the Turkish Air Force. According to Netanyahu, the transfer of F-35s or engines for fighter jets to Turkey could upset the balance of power in the Middle East, which, among other things, is ensured by Israel’s air superiority.