Prime Minister Netanyahu reiterated his opposition to the sale of F-35 stealth fighters to Turkey, saying that President Erdogan seeks to revive the Ottoman Empire, which would include Jordan, parts of the Gulf states, and Israel. The remarks continue his weeks-long campaign against the deal.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has escalated his public campaign against the potential sale of F-35 stealth fighters to Turkey, stating in his latest remarks that President Erdogan seeks to revive the Ottoman Empire, which would include Jordan, parts of the Gulf states, and Israel. The statement, reported on Tuesday, follows a series of declarations and diplomatic moves that The Zioneer has tracked since Monday.
On Monday, July 6, The Zioneer reported a sequence of developments: at 14:35 Jerusalem, Netanyahu initially attacked Erdogan and warned that the plane deal would harm the regional balance of power (version 1). He then claimed 99% alignment with President Trump while warning against the sale (version 2). By the same timestamp, Netanyahu publicly hardened his opposition, arguing that the sale would disrupt the Middle East power balance (versions 3 and 4). Later, journalist Barak Ravid reported that Netanyahu had directly asked Trump not to sell Turkey air force upgrade systems (versions 5 and 6). The Zioneer also reported at 15:20 Jerusalem on Monday that Netanyahu told Fox News that Erdogan threatens Israel, Greece, and Cyprus and should not get the F-35. Israel's diplomatic campaign to block the sale intensified, as reported by Amichai Stein (i24NEWS) (version 7).
As The Zioneer has reported, the Trump administration is reportedly considering restoring Turkey's access to the F-35 program, which was suspended after Ankara acquired the Russian S-400 missile system. An analysis published on June 25 warned that the sale threatens Israel's air supremacy in the Mediterranean and risks technology leakage to Russia and Iran. Reports from Reuters and The New York Times indicated that Trump plans to restore Turkey's access during the NATO summit.
The fate of the F-35 sale remains under high-stakes negotiation between Washington and Ankara. Israeli officials continue to work to block the deal, but the administration's final decision is not yet public. Netanyahu's characterization of Erdogan's regional ambitions has not been independently confirmed.
8 developments
- StrongNetanyahu tells Fox News: Erdogan threatens Israel, Greece, Cyprus, destabilizes region; should not get F-35
- StrongTrump says he would not sell F-35s to Turkey, warns of regional imbalance
- StrongSecurity officials press Netanyahu to urgently speak with Trump over F-35 sale to Turkey
- StrongAnalysis: Trump's renewed push for F-35 sale to Turkey threatens Israel's air supremacy in the Mediterranean
Source and signal
- Internal intake