Israel would be the most likely target Erdogan would use these jets against, as well as the Kurds in Syria. He could also use them against Turkey’s putative NATO ally Greece. They could even end up in the hands of Hamas. Trump appears to have been totally captured.
“Bipartisan US opposition grows over proposed F-35s and fighter engine sales to Turkey,” Greek City Times, June 26, 2026:
Opposition is mounting in Washington over reports that the Trump administration is considering supplying F-35 fighter jets and advanced fighter engines for Turkey’s indigenous KAAN combat aircraft programme.
Leading Republican and Democratic figures have publicly warned against any move to strengthen Turkey’s military capabilities while President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan remains in power, citing Ankara’s policies toward Greece, Cyprus, Israel and its relations with Russia and Iran.
Greek-American Republican Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis strongly criticised the proposal, arguing there is broad bipartisan opposition in Congress.
“As long as Turkey is led by Erdoğan, who aligns himself with Iran and Russia, hosts Hamas and remains the only NATO member that has not imposed sanctions on Russia, Turkey should not receive our most advanced aircraft and military equipment,” Malliotakis said.
Her comments follow growing speculation that the Trump administration is examining ways to restore defence cooperation with Ankara….
Democratic Congressman Josh Gottheimer also condemned the reported plans, calling Erdoğan an unreliable partner.
“President Erdoğan has aligned himself with Hamas and Vladimir Putin while threatening our allies Israel, Greece and Cyprus,” Gottheimer said….
Rick Gordon says
Selling F-35s to Edrogan is crazy and should not happen!
somehistory says
Why does he want to arm the enemy?
There have been numerous stories…a few based on fact, some purely fictional….of a person taking out a hit on himself. Before the murder can happen, the ‘target’ finds new reasons to live, or his initial reason for pursuing death has been proven false (such as a brain tumor. being diagnosed when none exists) The target must then find a way to stop his assigned murderer.
Why does Mr. Trump want to arm the enemy?
David Crawford says
Seems like he’s trying to outdo Biden arming the taliban.
Rob Porter says
“Why does Mr. Trump want to arm the enemy?” Because he is really quite stupid, ignorant of Islam and the Middle East, and has very poor moral impulses and judgement. I was delighted when Trump returned to the Oval Office, but through his foolish, witless, involvement in Gaza, the Middle East, his Gaza peace board and then his Board of Peace that has involved the corrupt and disgraceful United Nations and achieved nothing of value, have seen that in some respects Trump has the brains of a turnip. The longer he is back in office, the more I consider him a very poor leader. His moral impulses are almost zero, his arrogance and egomania pitiful. I do not believe that God saved him from assassins, it was just his good luck.
In respect of Muslim countries that ally themselves with the Muslim Brotherhood (an enemy of the West), fund Hamas, and fund Islamic terror groups – Qatar, Turkey, Egypt – that are brutally murdering Christians in Africa, Trump is a thorough disgrace. In fact, increasingly his Administration that goes along with his poor judgement and decisions, is a disgrace. I never thought we’d see a Republican administration behave so stupidly over Iran. I keep asking where Marco Rubio is on all the stupidity unravelling from Trump. Supplying Turkey with F35 s and other things that strengthen it military, is beyond stupid, it is criminal. Turkey constantly threatens Israel, kills Kurds, and shows itself an enemy of the West, but to Trump this water off a ducks back.
David Lakatos says
Trump is a bonehead.
Wellington says
Ever increasingly if the assumption is made that Trump knows what he is doing, and assuming this assumption is true, I fully admit that I am deficient in grasping this hidden wisdom possessed by Trump.
Look, the man has done great things for America (e.g., magnificently securing the southern border) and by any measure he is preferable to ANY Democrat in the Oval Office, but by the month, even the week, I have come to retract respecting my full support for him. Yes I have. Well, perhaps, and I hope so, it’s deficiency on my part.
GE says
It’s understandable, sir.
I think a lot of us feel somewhat duped.
Living on the border, I totally concur with your opinion on
the success he’s had making us more secure.
But selling weapons to Turkey? Sheer insanity imho.
ploome says
Turkey in NATO is sheer insanity
gravenimage says
It was a little less insane in the 1950s, when Turkey was seen as a hedge against Russia and seemed to be modernizing. But really, always pretty crazy.
PR says
It appears, that, while Trump`s domestic policies have real value, his ME policies are increasingly demented, and, dangerous. Is he getting terrible advice, form his trusted advisors? Or, has he been compromised, by his good buddies, our enemies, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and, other super wealthy arab/muslim monarchies?
Rob Porter says
Pr, increasingly, it appears that increasingly Trump favours Muslim countries over Israel. In this pursuit Trump’s recent remarks about Syria and its savage Muslim leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, former al-Qaeda/ISIS leader, Al-Jolani – whose savage instincts haven’t changed – being better suited than Israel to sort out Hezbollah in Lebanon, were so stupid and bizarre that Trump’s judgement and sanity deserve serious examination. His inclination to sell a disgusting, hostile Muslim country like Turkey F35s, speaks volumes about his ignorance of the brutal Ottoman Empire so admired by Recep Erdogan.Trump’s ignorance of Islam’s brutal history – driven by the Qur’an and other Islamic teachings – blinds him to the fact that they hate everyone who does not embrace their ignorant and satanic ideology, Jews first, Christians second and then all the other infidels, kafirs and dhimmis. Recep Erdogan has openly shown himself a Muslim extremist whose hateful instincts haven’t changed one iota from those of the Ottoman Turks who for at least two centuries terrorized Christian eastern Europe before Europe finally woke up and smashed the Ottoman Empire that collapsed into ‘the sick man of Europe’. Erdogan openly talks of using ‘the tram to destroy Western democracy’, expresses hatred of Israel and his ambition for Turkey to once again rule Jerusalem, gets his military to murder Kurds and through his assistance in helping Azerbaijan defeat Armenia demonstrated his hatred of Christians. He helps fund Islamic terrorist groups, openly supports Hamas and the West-hating Muslim Brotherhood, yet Trump would sell F35s and other military equipment to an Islamic country with a leader like the insane Erdogan. This is insane and my disgust for Trump now knows no bounds. With his imbecilic thinking and judgement he is becoming a danger to Western world security.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Rob
An increasing number of people on our side – not the Dems – are coming to that conclusion. Which doesn’t bode well for the midterms: we may end up w/ both (D) House & Senate, and that too w/ majorities enough to make impeachment succeed this time
Horatio says
Unfortunately anything he’s done that’s good would be negated by this lunacy. It should be easy to find a more responsible replacement such as Donald Duck or Mickey Mouse.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Israel should start treating the Trump administration the same way they did Biden: stop sharing intelligence, particularly sensitive ones about immediate plans, and just execute them independently. Just like when they killed Hassan Nasrallah, the US was completely in the dark about it and only knew after the fact
They should recognize that in Trump & Vance, they no longer have allies in the White House, and go ahead w/ whatever they were planning to do – annex Judea/Samaria, bomb Hizbullah, start secret regime change ops in Iran (if they’re not doing so already). Just pretend that it’s still President Biden in the White House
Rob Porter says
࿗Infidel࿘, well said. It’s evident that Trump has taken leave of his senses and Israel “should start treating the Trump administration the same way they did Biden; stop sharing intelligence, particularly sensitive ones about immediate plans, and just execute them independently.”
Beans🫘 says
I am a very strong Trump supporter. But this is a massive massive mistake for so many reasons.
This deal could be catastrophic if the Russian made s400 system analyzes its architecture, electronic signals and general behavior of our f35, they will pass this knowledge on to Iran and Russia ,which could begin shooting our planes out the sky!
Trump is ignoring some major red fags about Turkey. They are pushing outwards in the Mediterranean Sea and encroaching on our allies to steal continental shelf space and fossil fuels.
Turkey is also all over the African and Asian regions bullying and killing. Libya, Somalia, Armenia, Syria, Iraq and many more. Israel is next on their Hitler list!
Israel can not be hit from two angles by Turkey . From Islamist terrorist occupied Cyprus from the west, and from the north by Syria, a proven terrorist state, another ally of Trump.
Tim gallagher says
Why on hells name would trump consider doing this. He seems to be all over the place with his erratic decisions. Helping turkey in any way is crazy. I was thinking that on those evil and crazy bastards that run Iran, I bet that those scum are bound to be absolutely obsessed with getting nuclear weapons from now on, so someday the USA will have to wipe the floor with that loathsome country.
gravenimage says
Both Republicans and Democrats oppose Trump’s mad plan to sell F-35 fighter hets to Turkey
……………………………………………………
Good t see some oushback against this suicidal madness.
tgusa says
I’m all for it as long as we put a remote self destruct mechanism in the jets we sell them.
mark c says
Yeah like the pager surprise!!
Beans🫘 says
lol it sort of does kinda work like that.
Here’s the thing. I’d Turkey misused the f35, they would not be running for long. We control all the spares, the software even the service on the ground.
But it could be enough to wipe Israel’s Air Force out in one swoop. Israel is so small. Turkey could announce an “exercise” over south Turkey, and simply swoop into Israel in 20 mins , stealth mode and finish them off on the ground, the Israeli Air Force.
After that, we might take action and weaken their planes but their duty is basically done. The ground war begins.
Andrew Blackadder says
NATO came up alongside The Berlin Wall so how come it didn’t come down alongside The Berlin Wall.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization…
Which part of Turkey is anywhere near the North Atlantic ?.
islamism is nazism in a turban.