US President Donald Trump wants to sell F-35 jets to Ankara, setting him on a collision course with his own lawmakers as well as Israel.
Washington blocked arms sales to Türkiye after it imported Russian-made air defense systems in 2017: Officials worry the technology could gather data about the advanced stealth fighter.
Removing the sanction would require Congressional approval, which is unlikely given that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle immediately rejected the idea.
The move is a sign of Trump’s closeness to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoǧan — and perhaps also a breach with Israel: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned against the F-35 sale, telling CNN that Ankara is “a regime that’s infected with the Muslim Brotherhood.”