Trump praises Turkey, rejects Israeli criticism over potential F-35 sale

President Donald Trump on Monday rejected Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s criticism regarding a potential US sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey. Trump stated, “Nobody tells me what we should be selling,” emphasizing that the US alone determines its defense exports. He praised Turkey as “a tremendous ally for me” and a “very powerful country” with a strong military, despite acknowledging ongoing friction between Turkey and Israel. These comments preceded Trump’s meeting with Netanyahu and reflected a more favorable stance towards Ankara as Turkey seeks to rejoin the F-35 program after its suspension in 2020 due to its acquisition of Russia’s S-400 missile defense system. However, the State Department reiterated last week that Turkey has not yet met the legal conditions for acquiring the aircraft, including resolving the S-400 issue.