US President Donald Trump has indicated he is open to selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey (a NATO member barred from the programme since 2019 after purchasing Russian S-400 missile systems), citing his personal friendship with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as a key factor in the decision. The move carries significant diplomatic weight as Trump prepares to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has publicly opposed arming Turkey with the advanced stealth aircraft. A sale would mark a major shift in US policy and further reshape the strategic balance within NATO and across the Middle East.