Netanyahu Urges Washington Not to Sell Turkey F-35 Aircraft or Engines for Local Fighter Jet

SadaNews - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the United States not to sell Turkey F-35 aircraft or engines for a locally developed fighter jet, stating that this could disrupt the regional balance of power.

Netanyahu said in statements to the American "Fox News" network broadcast on Monday: "I don't think they should be getting (F-35s) or engines for their aircraft; because that would disrupt the balance of power in the Middle East which is ensured by... Israeli air superiority and also, I believe, the positioning of the United States in the Middle East."

Turkey, which is hosting a NATO summit on Tuesday, is seeking to obtain American F-110 engines for a stealth fighter it is developing locally, at a time when ongoing differences with Washington prevent it from acquiring advanced F-35 fighter jets, knowing that Israel remains the only country in the region that possesses them.