Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday dismissed objections from Israel and Greece concerning the possible US sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey.

Speaking at a closing news conference at the end of the two‑day summit he hosted, the Turkish president said opposition raised by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Greece’s Kyriakos Mitsotakis “have no place in my world.”

Trump had announced during a meeting with Erdogan on Tuesday that the US will lift sanctions on Turkey that were issued after Ankara purchased Russian missile defense systems in 2019. The move led to the country being kicked out of the F-35 fighter jet program.

On Wednesday, however, Trump suggested he hadn’t made up his mind concerning the F-35s, though Erdogan insisted that Trump has a “positive approach” toward the sale of the steal fighters.

“Hopefully, when the F-35s are delivered to Turkey, the whole world will say America kept its promise,” Erdogan said.

His remarks came after Ankara earlier in the day dismissed Israeli concerns about Turkey’s potential acquisition of F-35s as “disinformation.”

“The baseless allegations recently circulated by Israeli officials in a coordinated manner and with calculated timing are part of a disinformation campaign,” the Turkish foreign ministry said.

“Netanyahu and his partners in crime deliberately distort any criticism directed at them and seek to divert attention through a systematic propaganda effort.”

Netanyahu on Monday publicly urged the United States not to sell the jets to NATO ally Turkey, arguing it would “upset the power balance” in the region.

Last month, Trump promised to make Erdogan “very happy” when asked about Turkey looking to secure F110 jet engines and regaining access to the F-35 program.

Analysts say........

© The Times of Israel