Recep Tayyip Erdogan

According to the report, Sharaa had told Trump that "Israel refused to include the word 'withdrawal' in any agreement and halted negotiations when we raised the issue."

Though the UAE and Saudi Arabia dropped their interest in F-35s after US legislation imposed limits on the aircraft, Israeli defense officials worry that Turkey won't be affected the same way.

Complaining of the alleged anti-Ankara rhetoric coming from Jerusalem, Fidan directed criticism at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition and select members of the opposition.

Erdogan sees himself as the exiled “governor of Jerusalem” and seeks hegemony in the Middle East as the restorer of the Ottoman Empire.

Netanyahu also warned Trump against approving the F-35 deal with Turkey during the conversation.

Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said Greece "would not welcome" Turkey receiving either F-35 fighter jets or engines for its next-generation Turkish "Kaan" combat aircraft.

The debate over the F-35 goes beyond the aircraft themselves. It concerns how the United States balances its relations with its two important allies in the eastern Mediterranean.

Israel watches Turkey’s rise with concern as F-35 talks, Hamas’s refusal to disarm and Iran’s uranium stockpile reshape the regional threat map.

It is critical to note that Iran is a multi-ethnic country, populated by Persians, Azerbaijanis, Kurds, Turks, Lors, Baloch, Ahvazis, and a variety of other ethnic groups. 

Along with urging the assassination of President Donald Trump, Iranian lawmakers called for the death of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.