Turkiye Rejects Israeli Opposition to Prospective F-35 Jet Sales
ANKARA-Turkiye on Tuesday dismissed Israeli objections to a possible sale of U.S. F-35 fighter jets and related components as a “disinformation campaign,” escalating a diplomatic dispute ahead of a NATO summit where U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry was responding to comments by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who urged the United States on Monday not to restore Turkiye’s access to the F-35 program, arguing that such a move would alter the regional military balance.
In a statement, the ministry described the Israeli claims as baseless and accused Israeli officials of coordinating a disinformation effort. It also alleged that Netanyahu’s government was seeking to divert attention from criticism of its policies in Gaza and the wider region.
The ministry said Turkiye remained committed to promoting peace, stability and prosperity across the Middle East and called on Israel to adopt what it described as a more constructive and peaceful approach.
The exchange comes as Trump travels to Ankara for a NATO summit, where he is expected to hold talks with Erdogan. According to a report by The New York Times, Trump is expected to tell the Turkish leader that he is prepared to restore Ankara’s access to the F-35 fighter jet program.
Last month, Trump said he intended to make Erdogan “very happy” when asked about Turkey’s efforts to obtain F110 jet engines and rejoin the F-35 program.
Analysts say Ankara is seeking the F110 engines to support development of its domestically produced KAAN stealth fighter, part of Turkiye’s broader effort to establish an indigenous fifth-generation combat aircraft capability.
The United States removed Turkiye from the multinational F-35 program in 2019 after Ankara acquired the Russian-made S-400 air defense missile system, arguing that the purchase posed security risks to the advanced fighter aircraft.
Speaking on Fox & Friends on Monday, Netanyahu said the United States should not provide F-35 aircraft to Turkiye because doing so would upset the military balance in the Middle East. He also accused Erdogan of making statements calling for the destruction of Israel.
Relations between Turkiye and Israel have deteriorated sharply over the war in Gaza. Erdogan has been one of Israel’s most outspoken international critics, repeatedly accusing the Israeli government of committing genocide in Gaza, an allegation Israel rejects.
The dispute over potential F-35 sales adds another point of tension to already strained relations between the two regional powers, even as Washington continues consultations with both allies on regional security and defense cooperation.
