Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly urged the US on Monday not to sell F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, warni...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly urged the US on Monday not to sell F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, warning it would directly threaten Israeli air superiority and destabilize the entire Middle East. Speaking on Fox & Friends, Netanyahu called Turkey "a great country" but pointed to Erdogan's record as the problem. He accused the Turkish president of calling for Israel's annihilation, occupying part of Cyprus, threatening Greece, backing Hamas, and allowing the Muslim Brotherhood to shape Turkish policy. The warning comes as President Trump heads to Ankara for this week's NATO summit, where Erdogan is expected to push hard for F-35 access and relief from US sanctions. Turkey was kicked out of the F-35 program in 2019 after purchasing Russia's S-400 air-defense system, which Washington said could expose the jet's stealth technology to Russian intelligence. Netanyahu's concern goes beyond diplomacy. Since the October 7 attacks, Erdogan has publicly called Hamas a "liberation group," labeled Israel a "terror state," compared Netanyahu to Hitler, and threatened that Turkey could "enter Israel" as it had entered Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh. During Eid al-Fitr in March 2025, he prayed that "Zionist Israel" be "destroyed and devastated." For Israel, F-35s in Turkish hands would be an existential concern. Israeli air superiority is the tool it uses to strike Iranian weapons convoys, monitor Syria, deter Hezbollah, and prevent hostile neighbors from believing they can redraw borders by force. Netanyahu's warning also explicitly named Greece and Cyprus as countries that would be endangered by such a deal. He argued that a sale would signal to the region that Washington is willing to overlook Erdogan's aggression when pressure is applied hard enough. Trump reportedly maintains a working relationship with Erdogan, but Netanyahu made clear the decision is bigger than personal chemistry between leaders. #Turkey #F35 #Israel