Trump rejects Netanyahu's objections to F-35 deal with Turkiye: 'Nobody Tells me what to sell'

WASHINGTON, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Jul, 2026) U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's objections to a potential sale of super-sophisticated F-35 fighter jets to Turkiye, stating aboard Air Force One, "Nobody tells me what we should be selling."

"Turkiye has been a tremendous ally for me,” he said on the eve of his White House meeting with the visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, rejecting Tel Aviv's objections to the sale.

Turkish-Israeli relations collapsed following Israel's deadly on Gaza. killing tens and thousands of Palestinian men, women and children.

“I don’t think they should be given F-35s or engines for their fighter jets,” the Israeli prime minister insisted.

Tuesday’s meeting with Netanyahu in Washington would be Trump’s first since the United States and Israel launched coordinated attacks against Iran on February 28.

According to Turkish officials, during a NATO summit in Turkey, President Trump indicated in a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Washington would greenlight the sale of high-tech planes to Turkey.

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In his remarks aboard Air Force One, Trump acknowledged the differences between Turkiye and Israel.

“Turkiye not a big fan of Israel, not a great fan of Bibi. But they’ve been great for me,” he added,

The U.S. president hailed Turkiye as a “very powerful country,” noting the country has “tremendous military, very big military, very powerful, has a lot of great equipment.”

Turkiye has been a vocal critic of Israel’s conduct of the war on the Palestinian territory, Gaza, where, according to the United Nations, a major part of the narrow Strip has been reduced to rubble with tens of thousands of people killed.

Trump also commended President Erdogan, calling him a “friend of mine”.

“ Turkiye's been a great ally for me,” Trump said.

“I think he’s done a very good job, did a good job with Syria. He’s a friend of mine.”