Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has voiced opposition to any potential US sale of F-35 stealth fighter jets to Türkiye, warning that such a move would upset the balance of power in the Middle East, EDnews reports.
In an interview with CNN, Netanyahu said supplying the advanced aircraft to Türkiye would "destroy the power balance in the Middle East," arguing that Ankara has what he described as "aggressive aspirations."
“When you give them that power, you’re going to see aggression in its wake,” he said.
His comments came after US President Donald Trump said earlier that Washington was considering the possible sale of F-35 fighter jets to Türkiye despite Ankara’s removal from the F-35 programme in 2019 following its acquisition of a Russian air defence system.
Türkiye has long sought to rejoin the F-35 programme and secure the lifting of US sanctions that have affected bilateral defence cooperation.
Netanyahu has consistently opposed the sale of the fifth-generation fighter jets to Türkiye, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has expressed hope that improved relations with Trump could help advance Ankara’s efforts to receive the aircraft, for which it had previously made payments.
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