Turkey Expected to Receive F-35 Jets Within Five Years Amid Israeli Concerns

Turkey is projected to receive its first F-35 stealth fighter jet within four to five years, according to a report by Kan News on Tuesday evening. Although U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed willingness to proceed, he has yet to officially approve the sale. If approved, Turkey must submit a formal request to the Pentagon, which will then be reviewed by Congress before a sales agreement with manufacturer Lockheed Martin can be signed. Only after this agreement will Turkey enter the production line and send air and ground crews to the U.S. for training.

Currently, the U.S. is producing F-35 jets for countries already in the program, including Greece, the Czech Republic, and Romania, all expected to receive their jets before Turkey begins production. Israeli officials understand that Trump intends to move forward with reintegrating Turkey into the F-35 program, aiming to finalize matters before the U.S. midterm elections in November. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that such a move would disrupt the balance of power in the Middle East. Israeli sources indicated a preference that any jets delivered to Turkey would have downgraded capabilities, ensuring the stealth technology's intelligence-gathering remains inferior to Israel's.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan mentioned the supply of only five jets, a number far smaller than Israel's current F-35 fleet. In a related development, Turkish Foreign Minister described Israel as "a burden humanity cannot bear." Separately, the Israeli government unanimously recognized the Armenian genocide, marking a significant diplomatic stance.