Potential US F-35 sale to Türkiye irks Israel, Greece
The U.S. sale of F-35 stealth warplanes to Türkiye would “destroy” the balance of power in the Middle East, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said, with Athens avoiding the direct comment on the issue.
His remarks came after U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier in the day that he was considering such a move despite booting Türkiye out of the F-35 program in 2019 over Ankara’s purchase of a Russian air defense system.
“It would destroy the power balance in the Middle East, because Turkey, I think, has aggressive aspirations,” Netanyahu told CNN in a televised interview, adding: “When you give them that power, you’re going to see aggression in its wake.”
The Greek media have long suggested that the possibility of the sale has unsettled the Greek government as well.
