Netanyahu Urges Trump to Block F-35 Jets for Turkey

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly asked President Trump on Monday not to send advanced F-35 fighter jets to Turkey. Netanyahu warned that the shipment would upset the power balance in the region, which he said is ultimately guaranteed by Israeli air superiority and America’s posture in the Middle East.

Turkey was removed from the F-35 program in 2019 after purchasing the Russian S-400 missile system. U.S. officials at the time expressed concern that the system could be used to learn about the F-35’s capabilities.

Netanyahu stated that Turkey is governed by a man who calls openly for the annihilation of Israel, occupies half of Cyprus, threatens Greece, and talks about conquering Jerusalem. He also described Turkey’s regime as infected by the Muslim Brotherhood and said its foreign minister had stated the Jewish state has no place among humanity.

" — Benjamin Netanyahu, Monday (New York Post) Turkey has the second-largest army in NATO after the United States and has clashed with other alliance members over territorial claims in the Aegean Sea. The country was briefly sanctioned by the United States and several European nations after a 2019 military offensive targeting Kurds in northern Syria.

President Trump is scheduled to attend the NATO summit in Ankara this week, where Turkish officials are expected to seek readmission to the F-35 program despite bipartisan resistance in Washington.