Trump arrives in Ankara for NATO summit with F-35 negotiations looming
Trump arrives in Ankara signaling willingness to sell F-35s to Turkey, facing bipartisan and Israeli opposition over security risks.
Objective Facts
Donald Trump arrived in Turkey ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara, as his growing criticism continues to strain the 77-year-old alliance. Trump is expected to signal his willingness to sell F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, reversing a ban he put in place during his first term that has since been ratified into law, though how, exactly, Trump plans to get around the congressional ban on the fighter jet sales remained unclear. Congress codified the ban into law in 2020, and said the F-35s could be transferred if Turkey no longer possessed the S-400s, which is built to defeat US stealth technology, leading officials in Washington to worry that if Turkey took delivery of F-35s, the Russian system could be used to collect valuable information about the fifth-generation fighter jet. Turkey's foreign ministry rejects Israel's allegations as a 'disinformation campaign,' stating that Netanyahu and Israeli officials 'deliberately distort any criticism directed at them and seek to divert attention through a systematic propaganda effort'.
Left-Leaning Perspective
Philip Gordon, who served as national security adviser for Vice President Kamala Harris, noted that Trump's 'relationship with Erdogan, which is pretty strong, is consistent with what seems to be a pattern of his preference. It has often been pointed out he seems to have better relationships with adversaries and autocrats, and he certainly says nicer things about them than with allies'. Left-leaning coverage emphasizes that Trump is circumventing congressional authority. The US State Department notified senior Congressional members of its intention to bypass their objections to proceed with an engine sale valued at over $700 million, and Democratic Representative Gregory Meeks strongly criticised the decision, stating that the department failed to provide any written justification for bypassing Congress and did not clarify the deal's implications for US-Turkish relations or Ankara's continued possession of the Russian S-400 system.
Right-Leaning Perspective
The Wall Street Journal's conservative editorial board warned the potential sale of the F-35s would give Russia and China a 'window' into U.S. technology, writing that 'Allowing the two systems to work together would amount to letting Vladimir Putin conduct target practice on the free world's pilots'. However, Senator Lindsey Graham said he is open to delivering F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, suggesting a division within the right. Four Republican Members of Congress—Reps. Jimmy Patronis, Gus Bilirakis, Mike Haridopolos, and Nicole Malliotakis—released a joint statement expressing deep concern regarding the proposed military sale, noting that Turkey continues to be a destabilizing force in the region and that they are actively engaging with the Administration to express strong opposition to any prospect of Turkey's reintegration into the F-35 program without complete compliance with CAATSA requirements.
Deep Dive
Trump banned Turkey from purchasing the American-made F-35s in 2019 after the country purchased the Russian air defense system named S-400, doing so reluctantly and blaming the Obama administration for the situation while sympathizing with Erdogan for the 'very tough situation that they've been forced in.' Congress codified the ban into law in 2020, stating the F-35s could be transferred if Turkey no longer possessed the S-400s. The Russian system is built to defeat US stealth technology, leading officials in Washington to worry that if Turkey took delivery of F-35s, the Russian system could be used to collect valuable information about the fifth-generation fighter jet. This creates a genuine technical and legal impasse: the U.S. law prohibits F-35 sales while Turkey possesses the S-400, yet Trump has signaled willingness to reverse this ban. What each side gets right: Supporters of a potential sale, including some conservatives, correctly identify that the U.S. risks pushing Turkey further toward Russia or China if it continues to block military technology. As one former security adviser noted, 'We punished them over the F-35, and that punishment still stands. They're still frustrated by it, but as they now build out their own fighter, the question is: do we want to sell them the engines, or do we want them going to China or Russia'. Security hawks correctly identify that the S-400's intelligence-gathering capabilities pose a genuine risk to F-35 stealth technology. What each side leaves out: Trump administration supporters downplay the real technical concerns and the political cost of appearing to ignore Congress. Skeptics of the sale downplay Turkey's legitimate strategic autonomy interests and the realpolitik risks of alienating a NATO member by total exclusion. What to watch: How, exactly, Trump plans to get around the congressional ban on the fighter jet sales remained unclear, and the timing of any congressional challenge. Representative Dina Titus introduced on July 2 a Joint Resolution of Disapproval to block the sale of the jet engines, and while it only has Democratic co-sponsors so far, the bill would need to pass the House and secure a two-thirds majority in the Senate to override a presidential veto to successfully block the sale. Critical will be whether the bilateral talks between Trump and Erdogan on July 7 produce concrete language or remain rhetorical commitment, and whether Congress can muster sufficient bipartisan support to constrain executive action.
Regional Perspective
Tensions between Israel and Turkey have deepened over the past year amid mutual accusations and sharply escalating rhetoric, with Erdoğan having previously warned that Israeli strikes in Lebanon and Syria threaten Turkey's security, saying that Israel's 'aggression' poses a broader regional danger and calling for it to be stopped. The F-35 sale dispute has become a proxy for deeper Israel-Turkey rivalry. Israeli officials frame the sale as a strategic threat to Israeli air superiority in the region, while Turkish officials and the foreign ministry characterize Israeli opposition as part of a broader campaign to isolate and delegitimize Turkey regionally. From Ankara's perspective, Trump's potential approval of F-35 access represents vindication after years of exclusion and a restoration of Turkey's standing as a serious NATO ally and regional power. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has emphasized that both Erdogan and Trump share a 'strong political will' to resolve the issue, signaling that successful negotiations would reset U.S.-Turkey relations and strengthen Turkey's hand in regional affairs. For Turkey, the sale is also about technical sovereignty—the ability to access advanced systems that neighboring regional powers like Greece and Israel possess. Israeli concern extends beyond military balance. Netanyahu's public statements emphasize not just the F-35 capability differential but Turkey's alleged support for Hamas and Hezbollah, its occupancy of Cyprus, and Erdogan's rhetorical hostility toward Israel. Israeli officials see the sale as Trump rewarding an increasingly anti-Israel government and potentially creating a precedent for other weapons transfers that would degrade Israel's qualitative military edge—a long-standing U.S. commitment to Israeli security. The dispute thus reflects the broader fragmentation of the Middle East, where Turkey and Israel, once close security partners, are now regional competitors on opposite sides of the Gaza conflict.