Trump pledges to lift Turkey sanctions and considers F-35 sale as Netanyahu warns of power shift

President Donald Trump arrived in Ankara on Tuesday for a two-day NATO summit, receiving a lavish welcome from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that included a red-white-and-blue air show and the naming of a new airport building after the US leader. The visit marked the first by a US president to Turkey in 11 years and quickly produced a major policy shift: Trump announced the United States would lift sanctions imposed on Turkey over its 2019 purchase of Russian S-400 air defence missiles.

It's time. We don't want to sanction friends.

F-35 offer and Turkey's request

Trump also signalled a willingness to sell F-35 stealth fighter jets to Turkey, a move that would reverse Ankara's expulsion from the programme after the S-400 deal. Turkish officials said the country is seeking an initial delivery of six jets, fewer than the 40-odd it had originally ordered, and has already paid for five aircraft. Trump later tempered his remarks, saying he had not totally made up his mind, but described the F-35 as "the best plane by far" and said the sale was "certainly something we will consider."

Israeli opposition

The prospect of advanced US warplanes going to Turkey drew a sharp warning from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In a CNN interview on Tuesday, he said the sale would upend regional stability.

It would destroy the power balance in the Middle East because Turkey has aggressive aspirations. When you give them that power, you're going to see aggression in its wake.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was scheduled to meet Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Wednesday to discuss the possible sale, along with Iran, according to a source familiar with the matter. Netanyahu had already made his opposition clear directly to Trump.

Summit dynamics

Trump's attendance itself was a diplomatic win for Erdogan. The US president said he only came because Erdogan was the host, underscoring the personal bond between the two leaders. Erdogan later thanked his "dear friend" and said Trump's emphasis on their friendship was valuable. The summit was not without friction: Trump on Wednesday demanded the US cut trade ties with Spain and reiterated claims on Greenland, irking NATO ally Denmark. He later described the leaders' meeting as having "a lot of unity."

What comes next

The sanctions relief is being handled by the secretaries of state and treasury, Trump said. The F-35 sale, however, faces hurdles in Congress, where it is likely to encounter strong resistance. The Hegseth-Netanyahu meeting will test how far Washington is willing to go in accommodating Ankara while managing its alliance with Israel.