Trump Says He Persuaded Erdogan to Stay Out of Iran Conflict and Hints at F-35 Concession

Overview

• President Donald Trump told reporters Wednesday that he personally asked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to keep Turkey out of the recent Iran-related fighting and said Erdoğan agreed to stay out.
• Trump publicly suggested the United States may make a major concession to Ankara, including the possibility of supplying F-35 jets, but described that step as something he might do rather than a completed action.
• Vice President J. D. Vance and administration comments make clear any F-35 transfer would face legal checks and require Congress to determine whether Turkey meets U.S. law and policy conditions.
• Turkey’s ties with Israel have sharply deteriorated since October 2023, with Erdoğan’s public support for Hamas-linked figures and warnings about Israeli strikes in Syria and Lebanon making Ankara a pivotal actor for regional escalation.
• The near-term stakes are whether the White House formalizes any offer and how Congress, NATO partners and Turkish public positions respond, which will shape whether U.S. diplomacy prevents wider regional involvement.