For decades, Iran was the dominant menace across the Middle East. Iran's weakening changes that equation. Turkey now has an opportunity to expand its influence across a region already destabilized by war, shifting alliances, and the retreat of Iranian power.

The timing could hardly be worse for an F-35 sale.

On August 7, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan signed a mutual-defense agreement committing the three countries to defend one another against aggression. Turkey's foreign minister insists the agreement is not directed against Iran or any other country. Nevertheless, the pact represents a significant expansion of Ankara's military relationships and creates a new strategic alignment stretching from the eastern Mediterranean to South Asia.

That should concern Washington — especially because Pakistan is India's principal military rival.

A Turkey equipped with F-35s would not simply become better able to defend its own airspace. It would acquire a sophisticated stealth capability that could alter the military balance across an enormous region. And those capabilities would exist alongside Turkey's increasingly independent foreign policy and its deepening defense relationships with countries whose interests are diametrically opposed to America or Israel, and the “infidels” of the world.

Israel has good reason to object. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has explicitly warned that providing F-35s to Turkey could degrade Israel’s qualitative military edge, make it more vulnerable to nation-state bad actors, and upset the regional balance of power.

America's commitment to Israel's qualitative military edge should not be treated as an afterthought. The F-35 is not an ordinary weapons sale. It is a transformational military capability.

Nor should Washington ignore the potential consequences for India. A stronger Turkey-Pakistan military relationship, combined with Turkey's acquisition of fifth-generation American aircraft, could eventually complicate India's security calculations from the Middle East to South Asia ... and put not just the Middle East, but even South Asia in the crosshairs of Turkey’s global caliphate fever dreams.

Turkey is a NATO ally. But alliances require judgment, not automatic access to America's most sensitive military technology. And Turkey has already acquired Russia's S-400 air-defense system which should raise massive red flags about protecting U.S. military aircraft technology and NATO security.

Iran's decline should not mean Turkey's unchecked rise.

The United States should strengthen Israel and other reliable partners while preserving American technological superiority — not create a new regional power capable of challenging them.

Washington should keep the F-35 out of Turkey.

Fax Congress now and demand that Congress STOPS the sale of F-35 warplanes to Turkey.

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SOURCES:

Berman, Lazar. “Ahead of Trump’s Trip to Turkey, Netanyahu Says Ankara Shouldn’t Get F-35 Jets.” The Times of Israel, July 6, 2026. Timesofisrael.com/ahead-of-trumps-trip-to-turkey-netanyahu-says-ankara-shouldnt-get-f-35s-jets.

Rose, Emily. “Hegseth Cancels Meeting with Netanyahu over Possible Sale of F-35s to Turkey, Source Tells Reuters.” Reuters, July 8, 2026. Reuters.com/world/middle-east/hegseth-meet-netanyahu-over-possible-sale-f-35s-turkey-source-tells-reuters-2026-07-08.

“Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan Sign Joint Defense Deal in Shadow of Iran War.” The Times of Israel, August 7, 2026. Timesofisrael.com/saudi-arabia-turkey-and-pakistan-sign-joint-defense-deal-in-shadow-of-iran-war.