Trump mustn’t trust Turkey strongman Recep Erdogan – Latest News
President Donald Trump’s friendship with Turkish strongman Recep Erdogan is blinding him to some severe risks and doubtlessly paving the best way for a disastrous sale of F-35 jets to Ankara.
After receiving a heat reception on the NATO summit in Turkey this week, Trump lifted sanctions on that nation, which may permit it to buy F-35 stealth fighter jets and superior jet engines from the United States.
Big mistake.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomes President Donald Trump forward of the North Atlantic Council assembly, held as half of the thirty sixth NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government in Ankara on July 8, 2026. Anadolu by way of Getty Images
The sanctions have been imposed on Erdogan’s authorities during Trump’s first time period after Ankara acquired Russian S-400 air and missile-defense systems towards US needs.
There’s additionally a congressional ban on transferring the F-35s to Turkey until it “no longer possesses” the Russian missile system and any elements. Yet there’s no proof that Erdogan has scrapped the Russian systems.
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Allowing Erdogan to amass these fighters will solely additional destabilize the Middle East and pose a grave menace to US and Israeli security.
A bipartisan group of members of Congress, together with Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), has already fretted in regards to the “significant national-security concerns.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, too, understandably opposes any gross sales, noting that it could “upset the power balance in the Middle East, which is ultimately guaranteed by Israeli air superiority” and “America’s posture” within the area.
A pair of F-35 B fighter jets put together to land on the deck of HMS Prince of Wales, half of the UK’s Carrier Strike Group within the High North, off the coast of Iceland. ZUMAPRESS.com
He’s useless proper: The F-35 is arguably the world’s strongest and versatile fight plane, and within the mistaken arms, they may endanger US pursuits.
It’s notable, too, that beneath Erdogan, Turkey has been an enormously problematic NATO member, having aligned itself with US and NATO adversaries, corresponding to Russia, deepened its partnerships with China and provided public help for teams like Hamas.
The Turkish strongman additionally makes use of the nation’s judiciary and broad anti-terrorism legal guidelines to persecute his political opposition and goal Kurds.
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Yet sanctions and tariffs have managed to restrain him to some degree.
Now shouldn’t be the time to let up. Sanctions need to be reimposed, and no F-35 gross sales allowed.
