by
Austin BayJuly 8, 2026
During a press conference following his July 7 meeting with Turkey's President Recep Erdogan, U.S. President Donald Trump calmly raised a military technology issue that eight years ago triggered a major NATO alliance political quarrel.
Trump told the press gaggle his administration just might sell NATO member and reliable U.S. ally Turkey the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter.
This is not an arcane dispute. It wasn't arcane in 2019 when the Trump Administration 1, after a lot of thought, politically sanctioned Turkey. The U.S. denied Turkey the right to buy the F-35 and its support systems, even though Turkish pilots were in the U.S. flight testing the aircraft.
Turkey was a member of the F-35 development consortium. A Turkish company manufactured an F-35 part. The vindictive Erdogan was Turkey's president in 2019, and he took the sanctions as a personal affront.
The decision was a diplomatic and economic punch in his face.
And he deserved it, for Erdogan and his government committed what the Trump administration regarded as a grievous error in judgment.
In 2019, over bitter U.S. and other European NATO states' objections, Erdogan's government decided to purchase the Russian-made S-400 surface-to-air missile system.
The F-35 is touted as a "networking" weapon -- a weapon and sensor-carrying platform that can integrate with scores of other manned and unmanned platforms. It can provide guidance and targeting data to weapons fired by other planes and ships.
For example, in stealth mode, an F-35 can detect targets and relay the information to non-stealthy U.S. and allied aircraft. In the fall of 2018, U.S. Marines discovered the sensors on their F-35B vertical takeoff jets could locate ground targets, by day and night, and in all weather. The Marines linked F-35Bs with their M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System. HIMARS is an Army-developed weapon that fires long-range, precision-guided rockets.
The F-35 is a stealthy forward observer for 21st-century weapons.
When engaged in combat training or combat operations, all NATO military aircraft fly within an air control network that integrates with ground-based air defense weapons. These and other communication networks scan and share more than air and space data. They can share targeting data, intelligence, friendly locations and friendly flight routes.
The Russian S-400 missile system is also a network -- the missiles link to radars and electronic support equipment.
NATO military leaders concluded that if Turkey plugged the S-400 into NATO's air defense network, the entire S-400 system could act as a digital spy. Moscow might tap other communications and sensor networks. An S-400 with an embedded chip, which the Turks failed to find and remove, could in real time relay to Moscow the location of every NATO aircraft in the air.
So why did Turkey buy the S-400? In 2019, I blamed Erdogan's ego. Since the curious anti-Erdogan coup of July 2016, Sultan Recep (Erdogan's derisive nickname) has systematically repressed political opponents. He also pursued an ornery foreign policy, often at odds with Western NATO allies.
However, after acquiring the S-400 in 2020, Turkey all but sidelined the system. In 2024, Turkey decided not to use the S-400 in its "Steel Dome" defense network.
Combat operations have exposed S-400 flaws. Ukraine has successfully attacked Russian S-400 sites. Ukraine reported that its drones destroyed one on July 6. Israeli F-35s erased S-400 sites in Syria and Iran. Apparently, U.S. F-35s and B-2s easily evade Iranian S-400s.
Trump on his own cannot lift the F-35 restrictions -- Congress gets a say. NATO internal squabbles continue, with Trump scolding NATO members for failing to pay their fair share and failing to support the U.S. war to destroy Iran's nuclear weapons program.
For 47 years, Turkey has had the insane ayatollahs on its border. The U.S. has done Turkey a huge favor. The Trump administration has indicated that Turkey has provided significant support in the war against Iran. Were F-35s part of the deal? In December 2025, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack said the S-400 dispute with Turkey was "nearing resolution."
The deal may link to another deal. I suspect Erdogan has concluded Russia cannot defeat Ukraine -- which amounts to a Russian loss. If so, Trump will want Erdogan to personally deliver that message to Russian President Vladimir Putin.