President Donald Trump will be in Turkey this week to signal his intention to sell the country F-35 fighter jets, rescinding a ban introduced during his first term and later approved into law, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the plan.
It remains unclear exactly how President Trump plans to circumvent Congress’ ban on fighter jet sales. But he said ahead of his trip that he would arrive in Turkey with a “gift” for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which “will make him very happy.”
In 2019, President Trump banned Turkey from purchasing U.S.-made F-35s after the country purchased Russia’s S-400 air defense system. But he did so reluctantly, blaming the Obama administration for the situation and sympathizing with Erdogan for the “very difficult situation they are forced into.”
Congress enacted the ban into law in 2020, saying Turkey could relocate its F-35s if it no longer has the S-400.
Russian systems are built to defeat U.S. stealth technology, and Washington officials are concerned that if Turkey hands over the F-35, the Russian systems could be used to gather valuable information about the fifth-generation fighter jet.
Many Republicans in Congress are skeptical about transferring the F-35s to Turkey, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said on Fox News this week that such a move would “ultimately upset the balance of power in the Middle East, guaranteed by Israel’s air superiority and America’s posture in the Middle East.”
But Trump considers Erdogan a friend and tasked senior government officials with reviewing the issue to find a legally compliant solution.
“He’s a strong member of NATO,” President Trump said last month. “I’m probably going to do something that would make him very happy.”
