Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has suggested that Washington should not sell its F-35 stealth fighter jets or KAAN engines to Turkey, arguing it would “upset the power balance” in the region.
US President Donald Trump is scheduled to arrive in Ankara later on Monday for a NATO leaders’ summit.
Turkish officials are expected to view the visit as a key opportunity to press for the acquisition of dozens of jet engines and to explore Turkey’s readmission to the F-35 program.
The Israeli prime minister, however, warned that it would be a mistake for Washington to reward Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whom Netanyahu said “calls openly for the annihilation of Israel,” with advanced military technology.
“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,” Netanyahu told Fox News morning show “Fox & Friends.”
Israel’s PM cited multiple verbal attacks by Turkish officials against his country, including by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who during an interview with CNN Turk last week called Israel “the world’s problem” and said, “these people have become a burden that humanity can no longer bear.”
As Netanyahu described it to Fox, Fidan “said that the Jewish state hasn’t a place among humanity — basically it has to be wiped out.”
Netanyahu also reiterated that he remains a close ally of Trump, despite recent hiccups in their relationship over the war in Iran.
“We are the best of allies,” the Israeli leader said. “My relationship with the president is fine.” Netanyahu reaffirmed that a meeting with Trump in Washington was still in the works, but said “we haven’t yet set a date.”
Earlier, Trump promised to make Erdogan “very happy” when asked about Turkey’s efforts to secure F-110 jet engines and regain admission to the F-35 program.
Analysts argue that Turkey wants to secure new engines for its flagship KAAN stealth fighter project, as Ankara seeks to join the exclusive club of nations producing fifth-generation combat aircraft, notably the US, China and Russia.
In 2017, Turkey decided to acquire the Russian S-400 Triumf air defense system despite repeated American warnings. The move was driven by Ankara’s desire to assert strategic autonomy and reduce its dependence on Western suppliers.
However, the decision triggered one of the most serious crises in Turkey’s relationship with the US in decades.
The US response was swift and unforgiving.
Turkey, a key partner in the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter program, was removed from the project. Washington argued that integrating the Russian S-400 with the F-35 would compromise the stealth fighter’s advanced technology and pose a security risk to the entire program.
As a result, Turkey lost access to both the stealth aircraft and the industrial participation it had been promised.
Turkey put up a defiant face. It said it would develop its own stealth fighter jet, the KAAN, and reduce its dependence on American defense technology.
Ankara boasted that countries would soon prefer the KAAN over the F-35, and that many nations would approach Turkey to upgrade their F-16 fleets. For some years, this narrative gained traction. From Saudi Arabia to the UAE, Qatar to Pakistan, several countries expressed interest in the Turkish fighter jet program.
However, ambitious plans soon ran into hard realities.
Developing a fifth-generation fighter has proven far more complex than initially projected. The KAAN remains heavily dependent on foreign technology, particularly in critical areas such as engines and avionics.
Without a reliable engine, the aircraft cannot fly.
While it continues to advance the KAAN program, it still needs engines to power its stealth-jet dreams. Only a few nations, such as the US, Russia, France, the UK, and now China, have the technology to develop high-thrust engines.
Ankara has quietly shifted its approach.
In addition to seeking readmission into the F-35 program, Turkey is aggressively lobbying the Trump administration for approval to acquire F-110 engines for the KAAN.
The upcoming NATO summit in Ankara is expected to serve as a critical platform for these discussions. Turkish officials are likely to use Trump’s visit to press their case for both jet engines and a possible return to the F-35 program.
As EurAsian Times reported earlier, Trump could approve F-110 engines for Turkey, but readmission to the F-35 program remains highly unlikely until Erdogan gives up the Russian S-400.
- By ET Online Desk with AFP Inputs
- Mail us at editor (at) eurasiantimes.com
