Trump signals openness to selling Turkey F-35 fighter jets

President Trump signaled at the top of his meeting with Turkish President Erdoğan in Ankara on Tuesday that he's leaning towards allowing the country back into the F-35 program and selling the fighter jets to the Turkish air force.

Why it matters: Allowing Turkey to rejoin the program and selling it F-35 jets would be a shift in U.S. policy. Israel fears it would tilt the regional balance of power and violate U.S. commitments to maintain Israel's military edge.

• If approved, Turkey would be the first country in the region to be part of the F-35 development and production program and the second country in the region to have F-35s after Israel.
• Trump had previously said he would sell F-35s to Saudi Arabia without it being part of the program. But so far no deal has been approved and no jets have been delivered.

What he's saying: "Many people, including the people who are sitting here, think 'why wouldn't we do that'... Turkey has been in many ways much more loyal than other countries that we think would be loyal," Trump said when asked if he is going to sell the jets to Turkey. "So it is something we definitely would consider."

• Trump said Turkey has been a great ally and claimed it could have joined the war with Iran, possibly on the Iranian side, but didn't. Iran fired several missiles that hit Turkish territory during the war.
• Erdoğan said the F-35s were promised to Turkey in the past and stressed he thinks the issue will move in a positive direction during his summit with Trump.

Catch up quick: Turkey was expelled from the F-35 program in 2019 after it purchased Russia's S-400 air defense system, which U.S. officials said could compromise the advanced fighter jet.

• Vice President Vance said last week that the Pentagon is conducting a review to determine how the U.S. could sell F-35s to Turkey despite its possession of the Russian-made missile defense system.
• "There are certain things that we have to certify ​have happened ... ​in ⁠order to comply with American ​law. The president ​has ⁠asked us to do that," Vance ⁠told reporters in the Oval Office .

The intrigue: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu complained to Trump on Friday about Erdoğan's escalating anti-Israel rhetoric, Axios reported.

• Netanyahu also asked Trump, to refrain from selling weapons systems that would help Turkey modernize its air force, especially the F-35 jets.

State of play: 18 lawmakers led by Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.) sent a letter to House majority leader Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) and House minority leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) Tuesday calling on them to block any potential sale of F-35 jets to Turkey as long as its military still holds Russian-made S-400 air defense systems.

• They lawmakers claimed the sale under these conditions would violate U.S. law and sanctions.