Trump rebukes Netanyahu on Turkey F-35 sale: 'Nobody tells me what we should be selling'

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump forcefully dismissed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's opposition to selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, declaring that no foreign leader would dictate US arms sales.

His remarks underscored a growing disconnect between his public stance and the legal restrictions his own administration said remain in place. The exchange came aboard Air Force One on Monday, July 27, as Trump traveled to Michigan.

Trump rejects Benjamin Netanyahu's objections

Asked whether Netanyahu opposed a potential F-35 sale to Turkey, Trump brushed aside the concern and praised Ankara's relationship with him.

"Look, Turkey's been a great ally for me," Trump said. "I think he's done a very good job. Did a good job for Syria."

He then made his position unmistakable.

"He's a friend of mine, and nobody tells me what we should be selling or not," Trump said.

Trump also acknowledged Turkey's strained ties with Israel, saying, "Turkey's not a big fan of Israel. You know that, right? And not a big fan of Bibi."

Even so, he continued to praise the NATO ally, adding, "They've been great for me. Turkey has been great. Very powerful country, by the way. Tremendous military. Very big military. Very powerful military. Has a lot of great equipment."

State Department says policy remains unchanged

While Trump spoke positively about eventually supplying the advanced fighter jets, his administration has continued to maintain that Turkey does not currently qualify to purchase them.

In a letter sent last week to Democratic Rep Wesley Bell, the State Department said US policy had not changed despite Trump's earlier comments following his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"Our policy regarding Turkey's purchase of F-35s remains unchanged and fully consistent with Section 231 of the CAATSA and Section 1245 of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act," the letter stated.

The department said Turkey must first resolve the dispute surrounding its Russian-made S-400 air defense system.

"This includes resolving the S-400 issue by Turkey no longer possessing the system or associated equipment, providing assurances against its future acquisition, and meeting the other statutory certification requirements," the letter said.

It added plainly, "Turkey has not yet met these conditions," while leaving open the possibility that Ankara could satisfy them in the future.

Israel continues opposing F-35 transfer

Turkey was removed from the multinational F-35 program in 2020 after purchasing the Russian S-400 missile system, a move that also triggered US sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act.

Although Turkey has been discussing ways to offload the S-400 system to address Washington's concerns, the State Department's letter said no transfer has yet taken place, according to a Times of Israel report.

The same letter also expressed concern about Turkey's relationship with H***s, while noting those ties helped persuade the Palestinian radical group to accept the Gaza ceasefire brokered by the Trump administration last year.

It also praised Turkey for becoming a founding member of Trump's Board of Peace, which oversees postwar management of Gaza, the report added.

Netanyahu has publicly said Israel opposes selling F-35s to Turkey and that he urged Trump not to proceed, arguing such a move would weaken Israel's qualitative military edge, which US law is intended to preserve.

Israel remains the only Middle Eastern country operating the stealth fighter and currently flies 48 F-35s, with another 52 on order.