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Source: https://www.wsj.com/opinion/why-would-we-trust-turkey-with-f-35-jets-middle-east-ef34828a
Why Would We Trust Turkey with F-35 Jets?
(Wall Street Journal) Michael Rubin - An F-35 sale to Turkey would erode Israel's qualitative military edge. The problem wouldn't only be the initial sale but the likelihood Ankara would reverse-engineer the aircraft to bolster its military industry. Turkey's drone production - and global exports - started with imports. For the past decade, President Erdogan has asserted broad maritime claims across the Black Sea, Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean. This has led to more frequent clashes with Greece and Cyprus over exclusive economic zones and continental shelf boundaries. As Israel, Greece and Cyprus broaden their defense alliance to resist Turkish bullying, any Turkish aggression could spark a broader conflict. Providing Ankara with F-35s under such circumstances would throw fuel on the fire. In September 2011, when a U.S. oil company contracted with Cyprus to explore its waters for gas, Egemen Bagis, then Turkey's minister for EU Affairs, warned that Turkey might use its military against the Americans. "This is what we have the navy for. We have trained our marines for this," he said at the time. In 1974 President Nixon sold F-14 jets to Iran. Five years later, the Islamic Revolution transformed the country from ally to adversary. Rewarding Turkey with F-35s could be a mistake that undermines U.S. interests and security for decades to come. The writer, Director of Policy Analysis at the Middle East Forum, is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.