Donald Trump pushes F‑35 sale to Turkey and lifts Syria from terror list at NATO summit

At the NATO summit in Ankara on 8 July 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump signaled a possible reversal of the long‑standing ban on selling F‑35 stealth fighters to Turkey, saying he “has a tendency to say that he has helped us in many different ways” when referring to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He also announced that the United States would remove Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism for the first time since 1979, a move praised by Secretary of State Marco Rubio as a step toward opening trade and investment.

Trump’s remarks provoked sharp criticism from Israel and members of the U.S. Congress, who warned that the sale would undermine regional security. In the same briefing, Trump accused Iran of repeatedly violating a recent 60‑day cease‑fire agreement, stating “they violate the agreement every day, they lie, they cheat, they kill.” He praised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, calling his work “remarkable,” and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent lauded Trump for “saving NATO.” The statements marked a stark shift from earlier grievances expressed at the summit and raised concerns about the future of U.S. policy toward Turkey, Syria, Iran and the broader Middle‑East alliance.