Trump might support the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey despite the explosive issue of Russian S-400 missiles

Le président américain Donald Trump President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is expected to lend his support to a potential sale of F-35 stealth fighter jets to Turkey during his visit to Ankara, according to sources close to the matter. This decision would constitute a major gesture toward Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, as the two countries seek to strengthen their relations.

This announcement would come at the NATO summit in Turkey, which Donald Trump is scheduled to attend. The US president regularly considers Erdoğan a close ally, and relations between Washington and Ankara have improved since his return to power last year.

However, several legal and political obstacles remain to be overcome before deliveries can potentially resume. The main sticking point concerns Turkey's 2019 purchase of the Russian S-400 air defense system. This acquisition triggered a crisis with the United States, which imposed sanctions in 2020 against a major Turkish defense company and excluded Ankara from the F-35 program.

Turkey previously participated in the production program for these advanced fighter jets, but Washington deemed the Russian system a risk to the security of American military technologies. The US Congress also passed a law prohibiting any sale of F-35s to Ankara as long as the S-400s remain in Turkish possession.

According to sources cited in the report, one solution under consideration in recent weeks involves transferring the Russian systems to a third country. However, no agreement has yet been reached, and uncertainty remains as to whether Russia, which imposes strict conditions on users of its military equipment, would accept this option.

The White House and the Turkish Foreign Ministry did not immediately comment on the reports. The U.S. Embassy in Ankara also did not immediately respond.

When recently asked about the possibility of offering "gifts" to Turkey, Donald Trump said he would probably do "something that will make them very happy." US Vice President JD Vance indicated that a review was underway to determine whether Ankara met the requirements of US law to receive the F-35s.

This potential decision would represent a major turning point in defense relations between Washington and Ankara, but its outcome will still depend on the resolution of the conflict over the S-400s and the agreement of the US Congress.