Trump Plans to Lift F-35 Ban on Turkey Despite Congressional and Israeli Opposition

Ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara this week, U.S. President Donald Trump is preparing to reverse his own ban on selling F-35 stealth fighter jets to Turkey. This dramatic policy shift aims to resolve a long-standing deadlock caused by Turkey's purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system. Trump intends to announce to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Turkey will be reinstated into the F-35 program, potentially through a legal workaround involving the neutralization or transfer of the S-400 systems to a third party. Most of these Russian missile batteries remain unused and still in their original shipping containers.

The move, described by Trump as a "gift" to Erdogan, faces strong opposition in the U.S. Congress, where bipartisan lawmakers, led by Senator Jim Risch of Idaho, have expressed deep skepticism. The 2020 U.S. law prohibits selling F-35 jets to Turkey unless it is officially confirmed that the S-400 systems are no longer in Turkish possession. To circumvent this, U.S. officials are considering either transferring the S-400s to another country or dismantling key components to render them inoperable.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has strongly condemned the initiative, warning that Erdogan openly calls for Israel's destruction and threatens NATO allies Greece and Cyprus. Netanyahu criticized Erdogan's aggressive regional behavior and expressed concern over the security implications of the deal.

The original ban on Turkey's participation in the F-35 program was imposed in 2019 after Ankara acquired the Russian S-400 system, raising fears in Washington and NATO that Russia could exploit the radar technology to learn the F-35's stealth capabilities. The U.S. also imposed sanctions on Turkey's defense procurement agency, which remain in place. Although Trump has long sought to reverse these measures, the political reality in Congress remains challenging.

This development reflects Trump's broader strategy to strengthen ties with authoritarian leaders like Erdogan, even at the risk of straining NATO unity and traditional alliances with countries such as Israel and Greece. The outcome of this initiative will depend on ongoing negotiations and congressional approval.