WASHINGTON: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday (Jul 6) urged the US to not promote its F-35 fighter jets or elements to Türkiye, arguing it could “upset the facility steadiness” within the area.
US President Donald Trump travels later Monday to Ankara for a NATO summit, and his go to might be seen by the Turks as a chance to safe acquisition of dozens of jet engines and potential readmission to the F-35 fighter jet programme.
The Israeli prime minister nevertheless warned it could be a mistake for Washington to reward Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whom Netanyahu mentioned “calls overtly for the annihilation of Israel,” with superior navy know-how.
“I do not suppose they need to be given F-35s or the engines for his or her fighter jets, as a result of that’ll upset the facility steadiness within the Center East, which is finally assured by Israeli air superiority and likewise by, I feel, by America’s posture within the Center East,” Netanyahu instructed Fox Information morning present “Fox & Associates.”
He pointed to a number of current verbal assaults by Turkish officers in opposition to Israel, together with by International Minister Hakan Fidan, who throughout an interview with CNN Turk final week referred to as Israel “the world’s downside” and mentioned “these folks have change into a burden that humanity can not bear.”
As Netanyahu described it to Fox, Fidan “mentioned that the Jewish state hasn’t a spot amongst humanity – principally it needs to be worn out.”
Final month, Trump promised to make Erdogan “very pleased” when requested about Türkiye seeking to safe F110 jet engines and regaining entry to the F-35 programme.
