Israel and Turkey are in a bit of a tug-of-war with President Trump and potential major arms deals hanging in the balance. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had vehemently complained to Trump in a Friday call about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's escalating anti-Israel rhetoric, officials cited in Axios said.
Netanyahu specifically pressed Trump block sales of weapons systems to Turkey, especially those that would help Turkey modernize its air force. Of central issue remains potential F-35 transfer, which if carried through would outrage Israeli leaders. Turkey was blocked from the program in 2019 after the NATO member state went through with acquiring Russia's S-400 air defense system on fears that the US advanced fighter jets classified systems could be compromised.
Also central to current negotiations with Washington is a $700 million deal for new engines for Turkey's fighter jets. Turkey's welcome ceremony for Trump and his entourage was expectedly lavish, complete with honor guards and military bands, and even cannons firing.
Erdogan has said that Trump is adding "might and strength" to the summit. Trump has in turn said of the Turkish president, "We are great friends" - and extolled the beauty of Turkey's modernized infrastructure. Turkey is a country to be "reckoned" with, Trump said soon after touching down, "and the nice part is that because of the relationship that we have, it’s all gone very well."
Most importantly, Trump, signaled his intent to sell Turkey F-35 fighter jets, per CNN:
US President Donald Trump said he would soon decide whether to sell Turkey F-35 fighter jets despite a Congressional ban as he praised the country as more loyal than other recipients of the plane.
Trump said the sales are "something certainly we consider."
"It’s a great plane, it’s the best, currently the best plane by far, and certainly something we will consider," he said.
This is after prior reporting indicated that "US officials told CNN earlier that Trump is expected to signal this week that he is willing to sell the country F-35s, reversing a ban he put in place during his first term that has since been ratified into law." Erdogan has newly stated that Turkey has been promised five F-35 jets.
However, getting around the congressional ban remains to be seen. But Trump said enough in Ankara on Tuesday to put the Israelis on edge.
Netanyahu told Fox News on Monday that "Turkey is a great country, but it's governed by a man who calls openly for the annihilation of Israel" - in reference to Erdogan. "He occupies half of Cyprus, a NATO country. He's threatening Greece, another NATO country, and he talks openly about conquering Jerusalem."
The Israeli leader also said that giving Ankara F-35s or fighter jet engines would "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."
Turkey is also seen as supportive of the new Sharaa government in Damascus, at a moment Israeli forces are occupying portions of southern Syria. The two rival powers have nearly directly clashed at times over their competing Syria policies.