Trump Plans to Approve F-35 Sales to Turkey Despite Congressional Hurdles

US President Donald Trump is expected to inform Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan that he will allow Turkey to purchase advanced F-35 fighter jets, according to a report by The New York Times on July 7, 2026. Trump, who is attending the NATO summit in Ankara, is said to have decided to reinstate Turkey into the F-35 program after having removed it in 2019 over security concerns related to Turkey's acquisition of the Russian S-400 air defense system.

Four senior US officials indicated that Trump has never fully agreed with the 2019 decision and has been seeking ways to reverse it. This move comes despite opposition from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who reportedly urged Trump not to approve the sale due to Turkey's hostile rhetoric and regional actions. Trump hinted in recent days that he intended to present Erdoğan with a "gift" that would please him during the summit.

However, significant obstacles remain, primarily securing Congressional approval, which is uncertain given existing US laws prohibiting F-35 sales to countries operating the S-400 system. Intense behind-the-scenes negotiations are ongoing to resolve this issue, including proposals to transfer Turkey's S-400 systems to a third party or disable them by removing key components. Past ideas, such as sending the systems to Ukraine, have not materialized.

Turkey has long sought to rejoin the F-35 program but has refused to relinquish the S-400 systems despite being a NATO member hosting US nuclear weapons. The White House previously stated that operating the F-35 alongside Russian intelligence-gathering platforms like the S-400 would compromise the stealth capabilities of the jets. Sanctions on Turkey's defense procurement agency remain in place.

In addition to the F-35 issue, the Trump administration is reportedly advancing a separate deal to sell Turkey dozens of jet engines worth over $700 million for its indigenous KAAN fighter jet project, signaling a broader effort to strengthen US-Turkey defense ties ahead of the NATO summit. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan noted that convincing Trump to attend the summit was the most challenging part of the preparations, underscoring the importance of the meeting for bilateral relations.