Prime Minister Netanyahu asked U.S. President Trump to restrain Turkish President Erdogan and voiced concern that American weapons sales would upgrade the Turkish Air Force, according to an Israeli media report.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has asked U.S. President Trump to rein in Turkish President Erdogan, and expressed concern that American weapons sales would upgrade the Turkish Air Force, an Israeli media report says. The request, reported Monday evening, comes amid a protracted diplomatic clash between Jerusalem and Ankara over Turkey's regional posture and rhetoric. As The Zioneer reported, Netanyahu earlier Monday publicly stated that Erdogan threatens Israel's existence and that Turkey does not deserve F-35 stealth fighters. In subsequent days, Trump signaled willingness to approve the F-35 sale to Ankara, stoking Israeli security concerns. Netanyahu's direct appeal to Trump, which extends beyond the F-35 issue to broader U.S. arms systems, represents an escalation in Israeli efforts to sway Washington's policy toward Turkey. The report has not been independently confirmed, and details of the conversation remain undisclosed.
2 developments
- DevelopingMark Levin urges Trump to halt F-35 transfers to Turkey
- DevelopingNetanyahu urges Trump to 'rein in' Erdogan in phone call, Axios reports
- DevelopingFormer Israeli Air Force official urges government to block potential US F-35 sale to Turkey
- StrongNetanyahu tells Fox News: Erdogan threatens Israel, Greece, Cyprus, destabilizes region; should not get F-35
Source and signal
A single-sourced dispatch is never rated Confirmed or Strong. Its Signal strengthens only when a second, independent source corroborates it.
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