Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday urged the United States not to supply advanced fighter jets or aircraft engines to Turkey.
“I don’t think they should be given F-35s or the engines for their fighter jets,” Netanyahu told Fox News on the eve of the NATO summit in Ankara.
“Because that will upset the power balance in the Middle East, which is ultimately guaranteed by Israeli air superiority, and also by, I think, by America’s posture in the Middle East.”
His remarks came after media reports said the Trump administration was pushing ahead with the sale of General Electric F110 engines to Turkey despite opposition in the US Congress.
Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has used his power to put a hold on arms sales to Turkey.
Meeks said late last month that the Trump administration had informed him it intended to move “immediately” to formally notify Congress of an arms sale to Turkey worth more than $700 million.
Meeks accused the administration of bypassing congressional oversight of the proposed deal, calling it “yet another deeply troubling example of this administration’s open contempt for Congress’s oversight authority.”
He also criticized the administration for failing to address security concerns, including Turkey’s continued possession of the Russian-made S-400 missile system.
NATO leaders are due to begin a two-day summit in Ankara on Tuesday. US officials have said the meeting could feature announcements of defence deals worth billions of dollars, including purchases of advanced weapons systems from US companies.
On Fox News, Netanyahu also voiced broader concerns about Turkey’s place in the alliance.
“Turkey is a great country, but it’s governed by a man who calls openly for the annihilation of Israel,” Netanyahu said of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
“He occupies half of Cyprus, a NATO country. He’s threatening Greece, another NATO country, and he talks openly about conquering Jerusalem.”