US President Donald Trump has said he is considering selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, which Israel opposes, reversing a ban ratified into law during the president’s first term.
Here’s why such sales are controversial:
• In 2019, NATO ally Turkey purchased a Russian missile defense system designed to shoot down the F-35.
• The S-400 is considered Russia’s closest answer to the US Patriot air defense system and is touted as capable of shooting down aircraft at ranges of up to 150 miles (240 km) and intercepting ballistic missiles up to 38 miles away.
• In response to the 2019 purchase, the United States imposed sanctions on Turkey and suspended the country from the F-35 fighter jet program over concerns that the Turkish stealth jet could be compromised by the S-400’s advanced radar.
At the time, the US Secretary of State said the purchase “jeopardizes the security of US military technology.”
U.S. defense officials also said there were major concerns that the S-400 would collect technical data about the F-35’s capabilities and that sensitive information could be passed on to Moscow. The Turkish government said fears that the S-400 would create a weak link in NATO defenses are unfounded.
At the time, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin were deepening their relationship. Meanwhile, relations between Türkiye and Washington have long been at odds.
Now, Trump has repeatedly called Erdogan a “friend” and said from Ankara on Tuesday that Turkey is “in many ways much more loyal than any other country that we consider to be loyal.”
He also said he would lift sanctions on Türkiye. But it remained unclear exactly how President Trump plans to circumvent Congress’ ban on fighter jet sales.
CNN’s Kevin Liptak and Tim Lister contributed reporting.
