Netanyahu Opposes US Sale of F-35 Jets to Turkey as Trump Weighs Reversing Ban
Updated
Updated · CNN · Jul 7
Netanyahu Opposes US Sale of F-35 Jets to Turkey as Trump Weighs Reversing Ban
2 articles · Updated · CNN · Jul 7
Summary
Netanyahu said he directly urged Trump not to sell F-35 stealth fighters to Turkey, warning the move would “destroy the power balance in the Middle East.”
Trump, in Turkey for the NATO summit, said he is considering overturning the ban he imposed in his first term and called Ankara an “extraordinary” US ally.
Netanyahu framed Turkey under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as an aggressive, unreliable partner, citing Ankara’s anti-Israel rhetoric and saying more military power would fuel further aggression.
Even while opposing Trump on the jets, Netanyahu downplayed any broader rift, saying they still see “eye-to-eye” on major issues and withholding judgment on Trump’s Iran ceasefire-and-sanctions deal.
The dispute adds to a wider Israel-Turkey confrontation and comes as Netanyahu also faces pressure over falling Democratic support for Israel and 305 settler-violence incidents logged in one month earlier this year.