US President Donald Trump has said his administration will lift sanctions on Turkey and make a decision on whether it will sell the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II to the country. Turkey was one of nine partner nations in the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program and had planned to buy at least 100 F-35As. It was then removed from the program in 2019 after taking delivery of Russian-made S-400 air defense systems.

However, the move is expected to face strong opposition in Congress, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already spoken out against any F-35 deal. Turkey is in the process of developing its own fifth-generation fighter program — the TAI Kaan — with deliveries expected around 2029.

Trump Opens Door For F-35 Sales To Turkey

Credit: Department of Defense

Trump made the remarks on Tuesday during a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at a NATO summit in Ankara. The US President said that the possibility of F-35 sales to Turkey is “a decision we’re going to make,” adding that the F-35 is “the best plane by far.” Turkish President Erdoğan also spoke positively about a future deal, stating that the country was hoping for a “positive result” to acquire the advanced fifth-generation fighter jets.

Turkey was originally supposed to be an operator of the F-35 several years ago, but a diplomatic spat over a Russian air defense system led to its expulsion from the program in 2019. The country was subsequently placed under sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) in late 2020. It is these sanctions that Trump has stated will be lifted, but any F-35 deal will face other significant hurdles. On the prospect of F-35 sales, Trump said,

“It’s a decision we’re going to make. We have a very good relationship… It’s a great plane, it’s the best, currently the best plane by far, and it’s certainly something we will consider.”

Legal Obstacles Remain For F-35 Turkey Deal

Credit: Department of Defense

Green-lighting a deal with Turkey for the fifth-generation fighter will not be as simple as lifting sanctions. In the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, Section 1245 bans the transfer of the F-35 to Turkey unless the country can prove it no longer possesses or operates the Russian S-400 system.

Trump’s efforts will also face opposition within Congress and from military allies — in response to reports of the reversal, Republican Senator John Cornyn wrote, “I hope this is wrong,” while Israel’s Netanyahu said the move would “upset the power balance in the Middle East” by impacting Israeli air superiority in the region. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth subsequently canceled a meeting with Netanyahu on Wednesday, in which the prospective F-35 sale was expected to feature heavily.

Prior to Turkey’s expulsion from the F-35 program, the US had reportedly already built six airframes meant for the country. In fact, Turkey ceremonially took delivery of two jets in 2018, which were used to train its pilots on US soil. However, these jets were not formally delivered and have since remained in storage.

Turkish Fighter Fleet Renewal

Credit: Shutterstock

Although Turkey has not been allowed to operate the F-35, it has a longstanding history of flying American-made fighters. The Turkish Air Force relies primarily on a large fleet of aging F-16C/D Fighting Falcons and continues to invest heavily in Block upgrades for its F-16s, alongside a 2024 deal for 40 F-16 Block 70s. It also has a small number of F-4 Phantom II jets, although the vast majority of this fleet has been retired.

The domestically made TAI Kaan made its maiden flight in 2024, and the country is also developing new engines meant for this fighter. Early production jets will utilize General Electric F110 engines while Turkey develops its TEI-TF35000 alternative.

In October 2025, the country reached a deal with the United Kingdom for 20 new-built Eurofighter Typhoons, intended as interim jets while the TAI Kaan achieves full production. This agreement marked the first time in more than 70 years that Turkey had ordered a fighter aircraft that was not American-designed.