Netanyahu urges US not to sell F-35s or jet engines to Turkiye

TEL AVIV: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that the United States should not provide Turkiye with F-35 fighter jets or components, arguing that such a move would alter the regional military balance.

His remarks came as US President Donald Trump was due to travel to Ankara later in the day for a NATO summit, a visit that could be viewed by Turkish officials as a chance to push for the purchase of dozens of jet engines and possible re-entry into the F-35 programme.

Speaking on Fox News programme Fox & Friends, Netanyahu said Washington should not reward Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with advanced military hardware. Netanyahu said Erdogan openly calls for Israel’s destruction and warned that supplying Turkiye with such systems would have wider consequences for the Middle East.

"I don’t think they should be given F-35s or the engines for their fighter jets, because that’ll upset the power balance in the Middle East, which is ultimately guaranteed by Israeli air superiority and also by, I think, by America’s posture in the Middle East", he added.

Trump said last month that he would make Erdogan very happy when asked about Turkiye’s effort to obtain F110 jet engines and restore its access to the F-35 programme.

Turkiye’s defence goals

Turkiye is seeking the engines for its KAAN stealth fighter project as Ankara tries to join the small group of countries that produce fifth-generation combat aircraft, including the United States, China and Russia.

Turkiye was removed from the F-35 programme in 2019 after it bought the Russian S-400 missile defence system in 2017, a decision that angered Washington.

Comments on ties with Trump

Netanyahu also said his relationship with Trump remained strong despite recent strains linked to the Iran war.

He described Israel and the United States as close partners and said his ties with the US president were intact.