President Trump responded to reports of Israeli opposition to the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, saying Turkish President Erdogan is his friend and that no one dictates to the US what to sell, according to Israeli media reports.
President Donald Trump on Monday evening explicitly cited his personal friendship with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as he rejected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's reported opposition to the planned US sale of F-35 stealth fighters to Turkey. "Erdogan is my friend, no one tells me what to sell," Trump said, according to Israeli media reports. The remarks, published at 19:39 Jerusalem, mark the latest and most personal escalation in a widening rift between Washington and Jerusalem over the fighter jet deal.
The thread of reports on this issue has evolved rapidly. Earlier this month, on July 7, Trump stated that he would not sell F-35s to Turkey, warning that the aircraft would "destroy the Middle East's balance of power." The following day, July 8, Trump indicated he was leaning toward approving the sale, praising Erdogan's assistance. On July 17, Axios reported that Trump was furious at Netanyahu's public criticism of the deal and refused to schedule a meeting with him. Monday evening's reports, from multiple Israeli journalists including Barak Ravid (N12) and Amichai Stein (i24NEWS), show Trump now explicitly framing the dispute in terms of his personal relationship with Erdogan.
The Zioneer has been tracking this story closely. On June 10, The Zioneer reported Trump's assertion that a clash between Israel and Turkey would not happen while he is president, citing his rapport with Erdogan. On July 8, The Zioneer reported Trump's tendency to approve the F-35 sale. The broader context includes Trump's public friction with Netanyahu over other issues, including the Iran nuclear deal, as The Zioneer reported on June 8 and June 15.
The prime minister's office has not yet responded to Trump's latest remarks. The sale has not been finalized, and it remains unclear whether Trump's personal framing will translate into a formal decision to proceed with the transfer of advanced stealth aircraft to Turkey, a move that Israeli officials warn would threaten Israel's qualitative military edge.
8 developments
- DevelopingTrump leans toward approving F-35 sale to Turkey, praises Erdogan's help
- StrongTrump says he will likely approve F-35 and engine sale to Turkey
- DevelopingTurkish FM Fidan criticizes US arms-sale denial to Ankara as 'unjustified'
- StrongTrump says he would not sell F-35s to Turkey, warns of regional imbalance
Source and signal
- Open-source intake