Trump on Israel opposing F-35s to Turkey: ‘Nobody tells me what we should be selling’

President Donald Trump asserted his authority over U.S. arms sales, brushing aside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's public objections to the potential sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey. Trump declared, "Nobody tells me what we should be selling," while praising Turkey as a "tremendous ally."

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Nobody tells me what we should be selling.

Trump's comments came aboard Air Force One ahead of a scheduled meeting with Netanyahu at the White House. He described Turkey as a "very powerful country" with a "tremendous military." This praise for Turkey, a NATO ally, comes despite deteriorating Turkish-Israeli relations following the October 7 Hamas attack and the subsequent war in Gaza. Israeli officials have recently labeled Ankara a regional adversary.

Netanyahu had previously expressed strong opposition to the F-35 sale, calling Turkey "a regime infected by the Muslim Brotherhood, an extreme movement that hates America and chants ‘Death to America.’" He insisted that Turkey should not receive F-35s or their engines.

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Turkey has been a tremendous ally for me.

Despite these tensions, Trump indicated his foreign policy decisions are often influenced by his personal relationships. He noted that while "Turkey’s not a big fan of Israel, not a great fan of Bibi," they have been "great for me." Trump has previously spoken positively about his relationship with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

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I don’t think they should be given F-35s or engines for their fighter jets.

The potential F-35 sale to Turkey has faced obstacles. Turkey was removed from the multinational F-35 program in 2020 due to its acquisition of Russian S-400 air defense systems, which led to U.S. sanctions. Although Trump had previously suggested lifting these sanctions, a recent State Department letter to Congress indicated that Ankara still does not meet the qualifications for purchasing the advanced fighter jets.

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Turkey’s not a big fan of Israel, not a great fan of Bibi. But they’ve been great for me.