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Source: https://www.wsj.com/opinion/selling-f-35s-to-turkey-could-lead-to-war-b7e97436?mod=opinion_lead_pos8
Selling F-35s to Turkey Could Lead to War
(Wall Street Journal) Amit Segal - When Turkey's President Erdogan accuses Israel of encroaching on its neighbors' territory, he's mirroring his own desire to revive the Ottoman Empire, which once ruled those same regions. When he claims that Israel has "set its sights on" Turkey, he ignores his own prayers to Allah asking for Israel's destruction. While claiming that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians, he denies the genocide his country committed against the Armenians. Turkey stands by many bad actors in the region, supports terrorists and fuels instability. It has aided Pakistan against India, is reportedly building military bases in Sri Lanka, and hosts and protects Hamas members. Nothing good would come of allowing Turkish power in the region to increase. The U.S. recently signaled that it would try to sell F-35s to Saudi Arabia. Although Israel expressed concerns about such sales, it's clear that the Saudis would use these aircraft to defend against Iranian aggression, not to attack Tel Aviv. By contrast, Mr. Erdogan preaches the destruction of "Zionist Israel." There is no doubt that F-35 fighter jets sold to Ankara are intended for a future war with Israel. Selling the jets to Turkey would unsettle the delicate balance in the region and diminish or even wipe out the Israel Defense Forces' qualitative military edge. Why should the U.S. enable a future scenario in which F-35 jets conduct dogfights against each other? It would be a mistake to equip an increasingly aggressive and Islamist Turkey with far more advanced American weapons. The writer is chief political commentator on Israel's Channel 12 News.