Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has urged the United States not to sell advanced F-35 stealth fighter jets or fighter-jet engines to Turkey, days before U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to attend a NATO summit in Turkey that could put Ankara back on track to acquire the aircraft.
In an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu warned that such a sale would “upset the power balance in the Middle East,” which he said is “ultimately guaranteed by Israeli air superiority” and by “America’s posture in the Middle East.” Asked whether Turkey should receive F-35s, Netanyahu said: “I don’t think they should be given F-35s or the engines for their fighter jets.”
Netanyahu warns F-35s for Turkey would endanger Israel
“Turkey is a great country, but it’s governed by a man who calls openly for the annihilation of Israel,” Netanyahu said, referring to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He accused Erdoğan of occupying “half of Cyprus,” threatening Greece and speaking openly about “conquering Jerusalem.”
Netanyahu also cited remarks by senior Turkish officials. “His foreign minister, his number two, said that the Jewish state hasn’t a place among humanity,” he said. “Basically, it has to be wiped out.” He added that Turkey’s interior minister said he “looks forward to be the governor of Jerusalem.”
When mentioning Cyprus and Greece, Netanyahu described both as NATO countries, though Cyprus is not part of the alliance. He went on to describe Turkey as “a regime infected by the Muslim Brotherhood,” calling it “an extreme movement that hates America and chants death to America.”
Erdoğan has used his close ties with Trump to secure the president’s presence at the summit in Ankara, a visit that could come with a significant diplomatic and military “gift.” Amid worsening tensions between Jerusalem and Ankara, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said recently that “Israel has become a problem for the entire international community,” while Trump has hinted that he may approve a path for Turkey to return to the F-35 program.
Trump signaled possible movement on fighter jet sales to Turkey during a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte two weeks ago. Asked by a journalist whether he was bringing Erdoğan “a big bag of goodies” on the trip, including F110 jet engines and F-35 fighter jets sought by Ankara, Trump replied: “Yes, I think so. Yes, I’ll probably do something that will make him very happy.” Trump also hinted last September that the United States could soon sell F-35s to Turkey.
(Photo: Reuters/Nacho Doce, Sean Gallup/Getty Images, Shalev Shalom, Yariv Katz, Jack Guez/AFP)
Ankara was removed from the F-35 development and acquisition program in 2019 after purchasing Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems. U.S. officials feared at the time that Turkey’s use of the Russian system would allow Moscow to collect data on the F-35’s capabilities. Vice President JD Vance said recently that Washington was examining ways to sell the aircraft to Turkey, stressing that any such sale would ensure Turkey had complied with U.S. law.
Republicans and Democrats in Congress remain opposed to selling F-35 jets to Turkey as long as Ankara continues to hold the Russian defense systems. Two officials told AP 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 planned to bypass congressional objections to a deal worth more than $700 million.
Erdoğan and Trump have often held phone calls to discuss Syria, Gaza and the broader Middle East. Ankara has also joined Trump’s Board of Peace, which is expected to oversee Gaza on the path toward Hamas’ disarmament. The U.S. president recently claimed he had asked Erdoğan to stay out of the war against Iran, though there had been no indication that Turkey had intended to become involved.