Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed serious reservations about the potential sale of American F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, revealing in a CNN interview that he has already communicated his concerns directly to U.S. President Donald Trump. Speaking just hours before Trump addressed the issue during a press conference in Ankara, the Israeli Prime Minister disclosed that he had held a personal conversation with Trump regarding the potential consequences of such a deal. According to Netanyahu, transferring the advanced fighter aircraft to Turkey could significantly alter the balance of power across the Middle East and the broader region.
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Netanyahu: The U.S. and Israel remain close allies, but even allies can have disagreements
Netanyahu also argued that, despite the close personal relationship between the American president and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkey cannot be considered a reliable U.S. ally. When pressed on his disagreement with Donald Trump over the F-35 issue, Netanyahu emphasized that such differences do not undermine the strategic relationship between the two countries. “The U.S. and Israel remain close allies, but even allies can have disagreements,” he stated.
At the same time, Netanyahu noted that he and the American president continue to share a common approach on key issues of international policy, including the need to give Iran the opportunity to resolve outstanding concerns over its nuclear program through diplomatic negotiations.
