Turkey makes big move, plans to buy F-35 fighter jets from US by selling S-400 to…, bad news for Israel due to…
Ankara: In a significant development for the defence industries across the world, Benjamin Netanyahu’s Israel has urged Donald Trump’s US to block Turkey’s access to F-35 fighter jets. Fearing that Turkey’s use of Russian S-400 air defence systems could compromise Israel’s stealth jet’s sensitive data and threaten its military edge, Israel has said that if Turkey gets F-35 fighter jets, it would prove to be dangerous for the entire Middle East.
The speculations about the same arose when media reports indicated that Turkey has been planning to sell its Russian air defense system S -400 to Pakistan.
Why Israel doesn’t want Turkey to get F-35 jets?
Experts suggest that Israel is opposing the US selling F-35 jets to Turkey partly because Turkey has a close military relationship with Pakistan, which has in turn close relationship with China. Therefore, it is being feared if Turkey receives F-35s fighter jets, Pakistan and China could gain indirect access to sensitive stealth technology.
Pakistan and Turkey solidify defence partnership
In a fresh set of developments that has alerted the security agencies of India, Turkey and Pakistan have further solidified their longstanding, military-to-military relationship – including training programmes, arms and weapons sales as well as joint projects – during the recent Islamabad visit of two top ministers from Ankara, as per a report carried by IANS news agency.
The report noted that the presence of Hakan Fidan, Turkey’s Foreign Minister and Yasar Guler, Turkey’s Defence Minister in Islamabad recently, was a clear indication of robust ties between the two countries in the security and defence industry sector.
The two Turkish ministers met Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Dar publicly admitted Turkey’s assistance during the country’s recent standoff against India.
(With inputs from agencies)
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