Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the opportunity, during an appearance on Fox News, today, Monday, to comment on the news circulating about the possibility of the United States concluding a deal to supply Turkey with American-made F-35 fighter jets.
Netanyahu urged President Donald Trump not to reopen the door for Turkey to obtain F-35 stealth fighters, ahead of Trump’s expected attendance at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit, which will be held this week in the Turkish capital, Ankara.
The US President has always expressed his willingness to reconsider Turkey’s participation in the F-35 aircraft program, after years of excluding Ankara from it due to its acquisition of the S-400 missile defense system. Russian made.
The Israeli Prime Minister insists that the security of the region depends on Israel’s air superiority and the military presence of the United States, which he believes may disappear if Türkiye is provided with F-35 aircraft.
What did Netanyahu’s statements include in this regard? Why does he insist that Ankara not obtain F-35 aircraft?
What did Netanyahu say to Trump about this?
When the Israeli Prime Minister was asked whether Turkey should obtain F-35 aircraft from Washington, Netanyahu responded by urging the US administration to refrain from supplying Ankara with these fighters, or with engines for local fighters that it is developing, warning that this might “disrupt the regional balance of power.”
Netanyahu stressed that the security of the Middle East region is based on Israeli air superiority and American military strength, and that supplying Türkiye with these weapons would jeopardize this balance.
Why does Netanyahu stand against this deal?
According to Netanyahu, the hostility shown by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan towards Israel and other countries makes Ankara a “dangerous security ally,” which he considers “unacceptable.”
In this regard, Netanyahu accused the Turkish president of heading a “regime infected with the Muslim Brotherhood virus” in Turkey, claiming that the movement is “extremist that hates America and raises chants of ‘Death to America.'” This justifies – from his point of view – not providing them with F-35 planes or engines for their fighter planes.
Netanyahu continued his talk about Erdogan to Fox News, saying: “Turkey is a great country, but it is ruled by a man who explicitly calls for the elimination of Israel,” accusing the Turkish president of occupying “half of Cyprus” and threatening Greece, in addition to speaking openly about “invading Jerusalem,” as he put it.
Netanyahu also cited statements by high-ranking Turkish officials, noting that “the Foreign Minister, who is the second-in-command in the country, said that there is no place for the Jewish state among humanity,” while he pointed out that “the Turkish Minister of the Interior said that he aspires to become the ruler of Jerusalem.”
What are the implications of timing?
Netanyahu’s statements come ahead of Trump’s attendance at the NATO summit, which is scheduled to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday in the Turkish capital, Ankara. The US President had previously expressed his willingness to reconsider Turkey’s participation in the F-35 fighter jet program, after years of rejection due to Ankara’s acquisition of the Russian-made S-400 missile defense system.
Turkey, which is hosting the NATO summit tomorrow, Tuesday, is seeking to obtain American F-110 engines for a stealth fighter that it is developing locally, at a time when an ongoing dispute with Washington prevents it from obtaining advanced F-35 fighters, knowing that Israel is the only country in the region that possesses them.
It appears that Netanyahu is trying to exert some kind of public pressure on Trump to deny Turkey access to the fighters, as part of the escalating tension in bilateral relations between Tel Aviv and Ankara against the backdrop of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip and all the subsequent violations against Lebanon, the Al-Samoud Fleet, Syria, and Iran.
What about Trump?
During a meeting he held with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte two weeks ago, Trump hinted at the possibility of a breakthrough in the issue of selling combat aircraft to Türkiye.
In response to a journalist’s question at the time whether he would carry a “big bag of gifts” for Erdogan during this trip – including F-110 jet engines and F-35 fighter jets – Trump replied: “Yes, I think so. Yes, I will probably do something that will make him very happy.”
The US President also hinted last September that the United States might sell F-35 aircraft to Turkey soon.
It is expected that the outcomes of the upcoming NATO summit will determine the fate of this deal in the coming days, as it will become clear whether Trump will respond to Netanyahu’s wishes or whether he will move forward with concluding a new deal with Turkey regarding American fighters.
