Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used an interview with Fox News to urge President Trump not to approve the sale of F-35 stealth fighter jets to Turkey, warning that such a move would upend the sensitive balance of power in the Middle East that rests on Israeli air superiority, Ynet reported Monday.
The intervention comes just before Trump is expected to attend a NATO summit in Turkey, a visit that could include what Ynet described as a significant gift for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan: a green light putting Ankara back on track to acquire the advanced jets.
Netanyahu did not hold back in the interview. "I don't think we should give them F-35s," he said, according to Ynet, arguing that Turkey is a large country led by a man who publicly calls for Israel's destruction, occupies half of Cyprus, threatens Greece, and openly talks about conquering Jerusalem. He added that Turkey's foreign minister has effectively said Israel should be wiped off the map, and that its interior minister has said he looks forward to becoming the governor of Jerusalem. Ynet noted that when Netanyahu invoked Cyprus and Greece as NATO members, he appeared to misstate Cyprus's status, since Cyprus is not in fact a NATO member.
Netanyahu went on to accuse Turkey of financing Hamas and rolling out the red carpet for the group, while doing nothing to help the United States against Iran, in contrast to Israel, which he called America's exemplary ally.
According to the Ynet report, Erdogan has leveraged his close relationship with Trump to secure his attendance at the Ankara summit, an appearance that could come with real substance behind it. The tension between Jerusalem and Ankara has escalated in recent weeks, with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan saying that Israel has become a problem for the entire international community. Despite that friction, Trump has signaled he is prepared to move forward on the F-35 issue. Two weeks ago, during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, a reporter asked Trump whether he was bringing Erdogan a big gift bag on the trip, noting that Ankara wants both F110 jet engines and F-35 fighter jets. "Yes, I think so," Trump replied, according to Ynet. "Yes, I'm probably going to do something that will make him very happy." Trump reportedly hinted at a similar move as far back as last September.
Turkey was removed from the F-35 development and acquisition program in 2019 after purchasing Russian made S-400 air defense systems, amid American concerns that Turkey's use of the Russian system would let Moscow gather intelligence on the F-35's capabilities. Vice President JD Vance has said recently that Washington is examining ways to sell the jets to Turkey, while emphasizing that any such sale would ensure Turkish compliance with American law. Both Republicans and Democrats remain opposed to selling F-35s to Turkey as long as Ankara retains the Russian defense systems. Two sources told the Associated Press, per the Ynet report, that the State Department took a step two weeks ago toward advancing the sale of F110 jet engines to Turkey, notifying key lawmakers that it plans to bypass congressional objections to the more than 700 million dollar deal.
Erdogan and Trump have held frequent phone calls to discuss developments in Syria, Gaza, and the broader Middle East, and Turkey has joined Trump's Board of Peace, the body overseeing Gaza's path toward disarming Hamas. Trump has said recently that he asked Erdogan to avoid involvement in the war against Iran, though according to the report there was no indication Turkey ever intended to get involved.
