Story perspectives

Netanyahu Warns F-35 Sale to Turkey Threatens Balance

7/7/2026

Summary

Story summary

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the United States as a force for good while warning that supplying F-35 fighters to Turkey would upset the regional power balance.
He described Turkey as a Brotherhood-linked regime that hates America, chants ‘Death to America,’ and warned President Recep Tayyip Erdogan calls for Israel’s annihilation.
A group of U.S. lawmakers urged the administration to keep Turkey barred from the F-35 program because of S-400 missile system.

History

Historical Context

After Turkey’s 1974 invasion of Cyprus, the United States imposed an arms embargo that halted $1.5 billion in deliveries and blocked 30 F-4 Phantom jets. The embargo set a precedent for U.S. leverage, later echoed when Congress excluded Turkey from the F-35 program in 2019 after its S-400 purchase. Today, lawmakers and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cite that history while debating Turkey’s return to the fleet.

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Story summary

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the United States as a force for good while warning that supplying F-35 fighters to Turkey would upset the regional power balance.
He described Turkey as a Brotherhood-linked regime that hates America, chants ‘Death to America,’ and warned President Recep Tayyip Erdogan calls for Israel’s annihilation.
A group of U.S. lawmakers urged the administration to keep Turkey barred from the F-35 program because of S-400 missile system.

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