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United States President Donald Trump said Monday that "nobody tells me what we should be selling" when asked about Israeli opposition to a potential U.S. sale of F-35 fighter jets to Türkiye.
Trump rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's opposition to the potential sale while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One.
"Nobody tells me what we should be selling," Trump said.
He also described Türkiye as a "tremendous ally" that has done a "very good job" in regional matters, including Syria.
While acknowledging that Ankara is "not a big fan" of Israel or Netanyahu, Trump emphasized that the bilateral partnership remains strong.
During the NATO summit in Türkiye, Trump said he would "certainly consider" restoring F-35 sales to Ankara, describing Türkiye as "much more loyal than other countries."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Trump has taken a "positive approach" on delivering F-35 fighter jets to Türkiye.
Trump's remarks confirmed earlier media reports indicating that he was "pissed off" by Netanyahu's public criticism of a proposed U.S. sale of the jets to Türkiye.
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In 2019, during Trump's first term, the United States suspended Türkiye from the F-35 program after objecting to Ankara's purchase of Russia's S-400 missile defense system, arguing that the Russian system could endanger the fighter jets.
Türkiye has repeatedly said there is no conflict between the two systems and proposed a commission to study the issue.
Ankara also says it fulfilled its obligations under the F-35 program and that its suspension violated the rules.
Türkiye maintains that the jets would strengthen not only its own defense capabilities but also those of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
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