In 2019, the Trump administration formally removed Turkey from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, following Ankara’s purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system—a move Washington said compromised the security of the advanced stealth aircraft.
The decision reflected the deepening rift between the two NATO allies. U.S. officials argued that the S-400 system, designed to shoot down NATO aircraft, could allow Russia to gather sensitive information about the F-35’s capabilities if operated alongside the jet. Despite repeated warnings, Turkey took delivery of the S-400 batteries, prompting the Pentagon to halt Turkey’s participation in F-35 production and training.
On Wednesday this week, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed recent progress on the delivery of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey.
“We discussed the F-35 issue,” Erdogan told a news conference in The Hague, referring to his meeting with President Donald Trump late Tuesday. “We made payments of $1.3 to 1.4 billion for F-35s, and we saw that Mr. Trump was well-intentioned about delivering them,” he added.
“Our teams are continuing work on the maintenance and modernization of our F-16s as well as on procurement related to the F-35s,” Erdogan said.
President Erdogan has pursued an assertive and expansive foreign policy in the Middle East, aiming to reassert Turkey’s influence across former Ottoman territories. Driven by a mix of Islamist ideology, nationalism, and strategic opportunism, Erdogan seeks to position Turkey as a dominant regional power capable of shaping events from Libya to Syria and the Gulf.
In Syria, Turkey has launched multiple military operations to suppress Kurdish militias it views as terrorists and to carve out a buffer zone along its border. In Iraq, Turkish forces regularly strike PKK positions in the north, asserting Ankara’s security interests well beyond its borders. Erdogan has also deepened Turkey’s military presence in Qatar, Somalia, and Libya, and backed factions affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood.
Economically, Turkey uses trade, construction projects, and humanitarian aid to expand its footprint. Politically, Erdogan casts himself as a defender of the Muslim world, especially the “Palestinian cause,” often clashing with Israel, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.
Erdogan’s neo-Ottoman aspirations are destabilizing the entire region, and having at his disposal some 40 F-35s would present a grave danger to Israel and moderate Arab regimes.
This latest exchange between Erdogan and Trump reopens a long-festering wound in the failed U.S.-Turkey defense partnership—one that began with misplaced trust and ended in betrayal.
Turkey eagerly joined the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program in 1999, not out of loyalty to NATO or shared defense goals, but to advance its own military-industrial ambitions. The U.S., in a now-regrettable move, welcomed Ankara as an early partner, with Turkey pledging to buy 100 F-35A jets.
Turkish firms like Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and Aselsan were allowed deep access into the program, producing over 900 key components, from fuselage parts to critical avionics. In hindsight, this was a strategic blunder—handing sensitive technology to a country that would soon cozy up to America’s adversaries.
By June 2018, the red carpet was rolled out in Fort Worth, Texas, for Turkey’s first F-35, complete with grinning Turkish officials at a U.S. handover ceremony. But the charade ended abruptly in July 2019 when Turkey thumbed its nose at NATO by accepting delivery of Russia’s S-400 missile system.
ERDOGAN’S ANTISEMITISM: A PATTERN OF HATE
— Ronen Lahat (@Ronenl) October 26, 2023
President Erdogan has repeatedly displayed a pattern of antisemitic rhetoric and hostility toward Jews, both in Turkey and abroad. Cloaked in fiery speeches and populist nationalism, his remarks often blur the line between anti-Zionism and outright Jew-hatred, earning him condemnation from Jewish organizations and international observers.
During times of regional conflict—especially involving Israel—Erdogan has resorted to inflammatory language, accusing Israelis of being “more barbaric than Hitler,” and referring to Zionism as a “crime against humanity.” These comparisons not only trivialize the Holocaust but also demonize the Jewish state in deeply antisemitic terms. In domestic politics, Erdogan has stoked conspiracy theories about Jewish control of media, finance, and global affairs—the classic tropes.
Under his leadership, antisemitic content has flourished in pro-government media, and Turkey’s small Jewish community lives under growing fear and scrutiny. His calculated exploitation of antisemitism serves both ideological and political ends: rallying Islamist support at home while positioning Turkey as the self-styled champion of the Muslim world against “Western and Zionist oppression.”
Far from being isolated comments, Erdogan’s antisemitism is a core part of his populist playbook—dangerous, deliberate, and deeply entrenched.
DONALD LIKE RECEP TAYYIP
President Donald Trump has made numerous remarks about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the years—often striking a tone of admiration despite tensions between the two nations. Here are some notable quotes and themes from Trump regarding Erdogan:
“I get along very well with President Erdogan—even though you’re not supposed to because everyone says ‘What a horrible guy.’ But you know what? He’s a tough guy. He’s a strong guy.”
— Trump, at a 2019 campaign rally
“I have a very good relationship with President Erdogan. He’s a friend of mine. We have a lot of respect for each other.”
— Trump, White House press conference, 2019
“I understand where he’s coming from.”
— Trump, commenting on Turkey’s military operation in northern Syria, 2019
“He’s the kind of guy who gets things done.”
— Trump, private remarks to aides, according to insider accounts
Trump’s admiration for authoritarian figures was a theme throughout his presidency, and Erdoğan was no exception. His respect for Erdogan seemed rooted in the Turkish leader’s political longevity and iron grip on power. Will he now enable his Turkish buddy’s ambitions?
