- July 28, 2026
‘Nobody Tells Me What To Sell’: Trump Pushes Back At Netanyahu Over Turkey F-35 Sale
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Netanyahu had warned that supplying Türkiye with advanced F-35 stealth fighters could change the balance of power in the Middle East.
US President Donald Trump and Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu | File photo credit: AFP
US President Donald Trump on Monday pushed back against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s opposition to a possible sale of F-35 fighter jets to Türkiye, saying no one could dictate what Washington should sell to its allies.
“Nobody tells me what we should be selling,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. He defended Türkiye, calling it a “tremendous ally” and praised Ankara’s role in regional matters, including Syria.
Trump acknowledged that Türkiye is “not a big fan” of Israel or Netanyahu, but said the relationship between Washington and Ankara remained strong.
“Turkey has been a tremendous ally,” Trump said. “They have done a very good job in many areas.”
“Prime Minister Netanyahu opposes sending the F-35s to Turkey…”@POTUS: “Nobody tells me what we should be selling or not. Turkey has been a tremendous ally.” pic.twitter.com/8gSzavJ6Ce— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 27, 2026
The remarks came after Netanyahu had warned that supplying Türkiye with advanced F-35 stealth fighters could change the balance of power in the Middle East.
Netanyahu Warns Against F-35 Sale To Türkiye
Netanyahu has strongly opposed the possible return of Türkiye to the F-35 programme, arguing that the move could increase regional tensions.
In an interview with CNN, Netanyahu had said the sale would “destroy” the balance of power in the Middle East, claiming Türkiye had “aggressive aspirations”.
“When you give them that power, you’re going to see aggression in its wake,” Netanyahu said.
Türkiye was removed from the F-35 programme in 2019 during Trump’s first term after Ankara purchased Russia’s S-400 missile defence system.
Earlier this month, during the NATO summit in Türkiye, Trump signalled that he was willing to lift US sanctions imposed over the S-400 purchase and suggested that Ankara could eventually receive F-35 jets.
Trump-Netanyahu Latest Talks To Focus On Iran
Trump’s comments come ahead of his meeting with Netanyahu in Washington, their first face-to-face talks since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran.
It will be Netanyahu’s eighth meeting with Trump since he returned to office. The Israeli prime minister said Iran would be a key issue during discussions.
“In these complex times, you need to act with both great determination and great wisdom. We will discuss all the issues on the agenda, primarily Iran,” Netanyahu said before leaving for Washington.
The talks come after Trump halted a US bombing campaign against Iran over the weekend. Tehran said it would pause its own attacks as long as the US suspension continued, while Israel warned it would respond strongly to any future strikes.
Netanyahu has recently admitted that he and Trump have had differences over regional issues as US and Israeli priorities have appeared to diverge.
(With inputs from agencies)
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