President Donald Trump is reportedly weighing the possibility of lifting sanctions on Turkey and resuming the sale of advanced fighter jets, including the fifth-generation F-35s.
According to a Fox News report, Trump is open to selling F-35 jets to Turkey, provided both sides reach an agreement that would neutralize Turkey’s Russian-made S-400 missile defense system. Turkey was removed from the F-35 program by the Trump administration in 2019 following its acquisition of the S-400.
Türkiye için üretilen ilk F-35A uçağının Lockheed Martin Texas Fort Worth tesislerinden havalanışı. pic.twitter.com/IetzTZJa6g
— SSB (@SavunmaSanayii) May 23, 2018
In a phone call last Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reportedly pressed Trump to enhance bilateral defense ties by lifting sanctions imposed under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), approving the sale of F-16 jets, and restoring Turkey’s participation in the F-35 program.
Two countries have been particularly vocal in opposing Ankara’s potential reintegration into the F-35 program: Israel and Greece, both of which view Turkey as a direct regional threat.
“As diplomacy between Turkey and the U.S. over the F-35 continues, it is known that Israel and Greece are pressuring Washington to block the possible sale,” The pro-Erdogan daily Hurriyet reported recently. “Both countries oppose the sale in order to preserve the current strategic balance in the region.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly conveyed his concerns directly to the US president.
Netanyahu raised the issue this week during a closed-door session of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Security Committee, where he made it clear that Israel is firmly opposed to any US decision to reintegrate Turkey into the F-35 program.
Israeli officials view such a move as a serious threat to the country’s strategic edge. If the US were to proceed, it would deal a significant blow to Israel’s current air superiority in the region—a critical advantage that could be compromised amid ongoing tensions between Israel and Turkey.
Since its removal from the F-35 program, Turkey has demanded a refund of the $1.4 billion it had already paid. One proposed solution has been to redirect those funds toward the purchase of F-16 fighter jets. However, recent developments suggest that Ankara may now be shifting its focus toward rejoining the F-35 program, indicating a renewed strategic priority.
Turkey and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) launched a military offensive against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) following the collapse of the Assad regime. The operation, known as Operation Dawn of Freedom, began on November 30, 2024, and seeks to expand Turkish-controlled territory in northern Syria.
Meanwhile, Israel has seized a significant swath of land in southern Syria, both to counter the emerging regime and to protect the Druze minority communities located south of Damascus. With Israel and Turkey now positioned at opposite ends of a fragmented Syrian state, a direct confrontation between the two regional powers appears increasingly plausible. From Israel’s perspective, facing off against a Turkey armed with the most advanced fighter jet in the world—the F-35—is a scenario it is keen to avoid.
