Beirut: US President Donald Trump on Monday rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's opposition to the potential sale of F-35 fighter jets to Trkiye. "Nobody tells me what we should be selling," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. He called Trkiye a "tremendous ally" and described President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a "friend" who has done a "very good job" in regional matters, including Syria. Acknowledging that Ankara is "not a big fan" of Israel or Netanyahu, the US president emphasized that the bilateral partnership between Washington and Ankara remains strong. Trump also said that Trkiye's army is "tremendous." "Very big military. Very powerful country," he added.

According to Anadolu Agency, at the July NATO summit in Trkiye, Trump said he would "certainly consider" restoring sales to Ankara, characterizing Trkiye as being "much more loyal than other countries." Trump, according to Erdogan, has taken a "positive approach" on delivering F-35 fighter jets to Trkiye. Trump's remarks confirmed earlier media reports which indicated that he was "pissed off" by Netanyahu's public criticism of the proposed US sale of the jets to Trkiye.

In 2019, during Trump's first term, the US suspended Trkiye from the F-35 program after objecting to its purchase of Russia's S-400 missile defense system. Trkiye has repeatedly said there is no conflict between the two systems and proposed a commission to study the issue. Ankara also says it fulfilled its obligations on the F-35s and that its suspension violated the rules, maintaining that the jets would strengthen not only Trkiye, but also NATO.