# Trump offers Turkey F-35 jets and US sanctions relief at the NATO Ankara summit > US President Trump said he would 'consider' allowing Turkey to buy F-35 fighter jets and that the US would lift sanctions on Ankara, a bilateral announcement on the first day of the NATO summit in Turkey; Turkey's President Erdogan claimed Trump had promised five specific jets; if confirmed, it ends Turkey's exclusion from the program since 2019 **Meta:** type: event · date: 2026-07-07 · heads: Whose Money, The Long Game · 4 takes · 4 lenses · 3 regions ## Summary [US](/en/entity/united-states) President [Trump](/en/entity/person/donald-trump) said on July 7, the first day of the NATO summit in [Turkey](/en/entity/turkey)'s capital Ankara, that he would "consider" allowing Turkey to purchase F-35 fighter jets and that the US would lift sanctions on Ankara. Speaking alongside Trump, Turkey's President [Erdogan](/en/entity/person/recep-tayyip-erdogan) described the meeting as "productive" and claimed Trump had promised five specific jets. The two claims diverged: Trump's "consider" left the deal conditional, while Erdogan presented it as settled. If confirmed as a concluded agreement, Turkey's readmission to the F-35 program would end a ban in place since 2019, when Ankara purchased Russia's S-400 air defense system. That purchase led the US to remove Turkey from the F-35 supply chain and block jet deliveries. The US and Turkey have also been at odds over Ankara's partial compliance with Russia sanctions since the full-scale Ukraine invasion. ## The split US outlets (ABC News) emphasise Trump's conditional "consider" language and note the announcement came "as he arrived" at the summit, suggesting a headline-level gesture rather than a concluded deal. The Jerusalem Post leads on Erdogan's harder claim of a firm five-jet promise and frames the development through regional security implications, given Israel's longstanding objection to Turkey operating the same stealth aircraft as the US Air Force. IBTimes UK focuses on the optics of the bilateral interaction, reporting that Erdogan appeared to guide Trump at a NATO ceremony, with international observers split on what that imagery signals about who drove the negotiation. ## By the numbers - 5, F-35 jets Erdogan claims Trump has promised Turkey - 2019, the year Turkey was excluded from the F-35 program after purchasing Russia's S-400 system - 7 years, the duration of Turkey's exclusion from the program before this announcement ## Why it matters Turkey's readmission to the F-35 program would be the most significant shift in US-Turkey defense relations since the S-400 dispute. It would give [NATO](/en/entity/nato-alliance) a more integrated Turkish air force at a moment when the alliance is backing US strikes against [Iran](/en/entity/iran) and sustaining Ukraine support. Israel has historically objected to third-party F-35 sales without security assurances, and the Israeli government's response to any firm deal will be a key signal. ## What to watch - Whether the US formally announces a sanctions-lift instrument or an amendment to Turkey's F-35 program status - Israel's official response to any confirmed F-35 transfer - Whether Turkey reciprocates with a shift in its Russia sanctions posture or adjusts its stance on Ukraine arms supply ## Regional takes (batched by bias / lens) ### Israeli and Middle Eastern perspective; Erdogan's claim of a firm five-jet promise and the regional strategic implications of Turkey returning to the F-35 program - **The Jerusalem Post** (Israel, en) — The Jerusalem Post leads on Erdogan's claim that Trump had promised Turkey five specific F-35 aircraft, describing the bilateral as 'productive.' The outlet frames the deal through the lens of regional security: Turkey's readmission to the F-35 program would mark the end of the ban imposed after Ankara bought Russia's S-400 air defense system in 2019, a purchase that infuriated Israel and the NATO allies who operate the jet. > "Turkey's Erdogan claimed he had been promised five of the jets and said he and [Trump] had a 'productive' meeting." Source: https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-901745 ### US mainstream; Trump's own language and the gap between his conditional 'consider' and Erdogan's claim of a firm commitment - **ABC News** (United States, en) — ABC News reports Trump's conditional phrasing: he would 'consider' allowing Turkey to buy F-35 jets. The outlet notes Trump made the announcement on the first day of the NATO Ankara summit, framing the bilateral as a headline diplomatic gesture. The gap between Trump's 'consider' and Erdogan's explicit claim of a five-jet promise left the deal's firm status unclear. > "President Trump said he will consider allowing Turkey to buy American F-35 fighter jets as he arrived in Ankara for a NATO summit." Source: https://abcnews.com/Politics/trump-hell-giving-turkey-35-jets-adds-us/story?id=134547490 ### British press; the optics of the Trump-Erdogan bilateral and the interpretation of their physical interaction at the NATO ceremony - **International Business Times UK** (United Kingdom, en) — IBTimes UK focuses on the optics of the Trump-Erdogan bilateral, reporting that Erdogan appeared to guide a 'wandering' Trump at a NATO ceremony, sparking global debate about who had the upper hand. The outlet notes differing interpretations of the interaction, with some observers seeing Erdogan as directing the agenda and others dismissing the framing as tabloid spin. > "A brief interaction between Erdogan and Trump at a NATO ceremony in Ankara has sparked global debate, with differing interpretations." Source: https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/unscripted-tarmac-moment-erdogan-trump-debate-1807439 ### unlabelled - **ABC13** (United States, en) — Source: https://abc13.com/post/nato-unveils-billions-arms-deals-prove-firepower-president-trump-arrives-ankara/19463166/ ## Across the graph - Related: [[nato-ankara-summit-jul2-preview]], [[iran-hormuz-ship-attack-jul7]] - Entities: Person:donald Trump, Person:recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey, NATO Alliance, United States --- Canonical: https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/trump-turkey-f35-ankara-jul7