Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made a sharp public and diplomatic appeal to US President Donald Trump, urging Washington not to restore Turkey's access to the fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets and their engines. On the eve of the NATO summit in Ankara, the Israeli leader warned that any arming of Turkey would would disrupt the balance of power in the Middle East and threaten Israel's air superiority.
The revelations about Netanyahu's offensive and his media appearances outline serious tensions between Jerusalem and Washington, after the Trump administration has already taken steps to bypass Congress for a $700 million arms sale to Ankara.
The list of “complaints“ Netanyahu
In an attempt to convince the White House that Recep Tayyip Erdogan's regime poses an unacceptable security risk, Netanyahu uses heavy-handed arguments and direct quotes from Turkish statesmen:
Ideological threat: The Prime Minister described Turkey as a “regime infected by the Muslim Brotherhood“ – an extremist movement that hates the United States. Threats of destruction: He recalled that Erdogan openly calls for the destruction of Israel and supports the terrorist group Hamas. Aggression against NATO allies: Turkish threats to the security of Greece and the ongoing illegal occupation of Cyprus were highlighted. Scandalous diplomatic statements: Netanyahu quotes Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan as saying that “the Jewish state has no place among humanity“, as well as the country's Interior Minister's ambitions to become “governor of Jerusalem“.
The context of the conflict
Turkey was excluded from the F-35 program in 2019 after purchasing Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems. Last month, however, Donald Trump hinted that he was prepared to make Erdogan "very happy" by facilitating the delivery of F110 engines needed for Turkey's new stealth fighter jet, as well as a possible return to the F-35 program.
According to the Israeli media Channel 12 (N12) and Ynet, Netanyahu has also activated lobbying channels in the US through Secretary of State Marco Rubio to block the transactions behind the scenes. Western experts, however, note that Trump sees Turkey as a key ally with one of the most powerful armies in NATO and is unlikely to bend completely to Israeli pressure.