As U.S. President Donald Trump prepares to visit Ankara, Turkey, to attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has voiced his displeasure with Turkey. Netanyahu is reported to have called Trump to air these grievances and to ask that the United States refrain from a weapons sale it is pursuing. However, Trump, along with NATO member states, appears to support Turkey's purchase of U.S.-made weapons, which could serve as a factor in increasing defense spending.
On Friday, Axios, citing Israeli and U.S. officials, reported that Netanyahu raised his complaints about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Trump on Tuesday and signaled that he wanted the United States to keep Erdogan in check. Trump is set to depart to attend the NATO summit held in Ankara on Saturday, where he will meet with Erdogan.
Netanyahu's complaints appear to be aimed at Erdogan's remarks last week describing Zionism as a "genocide ideology." Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also, in an interview with Turkish TV, characterized the Israeli government as "a burden that humanity can no longer bear and a problem for the entire world," calling for international sanctions against Israel.
Officials said Netanyahu also asked that when Trump meets Erdogan at this week's Ankara NATO summit, he refrain from selling weapons systems that could help modernize Turkey's air force.
The request is for the Trump administration to halt its review of resuming the sale of F-35 stealth fighter jets to Turkey, which had been suspended after Turkey adopted the Russian-made S-400 air defense system. Turkey was expelled from the F-35 program after purchasing the Russian S-400 air defense system in 2019. But recently, the United States has shifted toward selling weapons, including the F-35, to Turkey. U.S. Vice President JD Vance recently said the United States is conducting a review to determine how it could sell F-35s to Turkey despite Turkey possessing a Russian missile defense system.
On Saturday, Trump arrived in the Turkish capital of Ankara to attend the NATO summit and said, "Selling F-35 fighter jets is a decision we are about to make," adding, "This is clearly a good plan." He stressed, "The (F-35) is by far the best fighter jet, and we will clearly consider (the sale plan) once again." From Israel's perspective, the strengthening of the military power of Turkey, which is increasingly ramping up its criticism, is inevitably a source of discomfort.
In an interview on Saturday, Netanyahu, targeting Turkey, stressed, "I don't think we should provide F-35s or fighter jet engines to a regime steeped in the Muslim Brotherhood, an extremist movement that hates America," adding, "because it would break the balance of power in the Middle East, which is guaranteed by Israel's air superiority and America's posture." However, with Trump and Netanyahu voicing conflict over the Iran war, the likelihood of such a request being accepted appears low.
Another variable is that the strategic value of Turkey, once called NATO's "problem child," is being reassessed. The New York Times (NYT) reported Friday that NATO member states' view of Turkey has changed amid a rapidly shifting international landscape, including the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
In the past, there was considerable negative perception of Turkey within NATO. This was because Turkey took a different course from European member states, delaying Sweden's and Finland's accession processes and declining to join sanctions against Russia. In particular, Erdogan's authoritarian rule was also a factor that heightened member states' negative views.
However, the assessment is that the atmosphere within NATO has changed since the return of U.S. President Donald Trump. With European nations' weapons stockpiles greatly reduced by the war in Ukraine, and as Trump has signaled the possibility of reducing the U.S. role in NATO, member states are paying attention to the strategic value of Turkey, which possesses a defense industry and military strength.
Indeed, Turkey has the second-largest military in NATO after the United States. Its defense industry, producing various weapons such as drones and artillery shells, has also grown rapidly, with defense exports surpassing $10 billion (about 15.3 trillion won) last year.
Alongside this, Turkey is also expanding its presence on the diplomatic stage. It maintains channels of communication with Russia, Ukraine, Iran, and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, playing a mediator role in various conflicts. The United States also places importance on its relationship with Turkey, a geopolitically strategic point controlling the maritime gateway to the Black Sea. Recently, Trump maintained a friendly attitude, telling reporters who asked whether he would attend the NATO summit, "If Erdogan weren't hosting it, I wouldn't have attended."
However, concerns over Erdogan's authoritarian rule have not been resolved. Ekrem Imamoglu, the former Istanbul mayor and a leading opposition presidential candidate, is imprisoned amid criticism of political persecution, and the leadership of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) was also replaced by a court decision.
But as containing Russia and strengthening European security have emerged as NATO's top priorities, member states are not publicly raising the issue of Turkey's democratic backsliding. Former U.S. Ambassador to Turkey John Bass said, "The biggest concern for European countries right now is not Turkish democracy but their own security," adding, "The changing security environment is shifting the West's view of Turkey."
