Washington, D.C. – April 7, 2025 – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pressing U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to halt the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, citing concerns over Ankara’s growing influence in Syria, according to three sources, including two senior Western officials, who spoke to Middle East Eye (MEE).
Netanyahu raised the F-35 issue during multiple conversations with Rubio in March and April, the two Western officials confirmed. A third source familiar with the matter verified that Netanyahu had lobbied Rubio on the arms sale.
Netanyahu has privately vowed to push President Donald Trump against the F-35 sale, sources say. The Israeli leader met Trump at the White House on Monday, marking his second visit this year. Netanyahu reportedly brought a range of issues to discuss with Trump, from “restrictions” imposed on Israel to Iran’s nuclear program, the disarmament of Hezbollah, and Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza. However, the intensifying rivalry between Israel and Turkey in Syria has taken center stage.
Last week, Israel bombed three military bases in Syria, including the Tiyas airbase (also known as T4). The strikes were launched as Israel seized a narrow window of opportunity to hit the bases before Turkey could deploy its forces there. Turkey is currently installing a Hisar-type air defense system at T4. Control of these bases is part of a pending defense pact Ankara has been negotiating with Damascus since December, under which Turkey would provide air cover and military protection to Syria’s new government, which currently lacks a functioning army.
Netanyahu and his advisors see Rubio as a key ally in their effort to block Turkey’s acquisition of F-35s, the Western officials told MEE.
Rubio and Turkey
Rubio, one of the most hawkish voices on Turkey in Trump’s cabinet, has a history of skepticism toward Ankara. He was among the few U.S. officials to voice concern over the March 19 arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a top rival to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Imamoglu’s imprisonment sparked widespread protests in Turkey. Amid the fallout, Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, described a “truly transformative” call between Trump and Erdogan, claiming “a lot of good, positive news is coming out of Turkey right now.”
Sources told MEE that Netanyahu raised the F-35 issue with Rubio multiple times, including in a call before Rubio hosted his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, in Washington on March 25. A State Department readout of that meeting noted the two discussed “close cooperation to support a stable, unified, peaceful Syria.” Rubio and Fidan also shared a warm embrace on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Brussels this April.
As a Republican senator, Rubio showed keen interest in the Eastern Mediterranean, sponsoring legislation to boost security and energy cooperation between Greece, Cyprus, and Israel. He co-authored the 2019 Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act, which authorized foreign military funding for Greece and lifted an arms sale ban to the Republic of Cyprus.
Greece, Turkey’s historical rival, and Cyprus have grown wary of Turkey’s rising regional influence following the ousting of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad by Islamist rebels last year. Turkey’s illegal 1974 invasion of Cyprus, following a coup by the Athens junta, left over 35,000 Turkish troops in the occupied north, a self-declared entity recognized only by Turkey among UN member states.
Greece, Cyprus, and Israel Respond
With Ankara’s allies now in Damascus, Greece and Cyprus fear Turkey might revive a maritime deal it struck with Libya’s Tripoli-based government. Greece and Israel, backed by the U.S., have deepened military ties over the past decade, partly in response to that agreement. This cooperation has accelerated as Turkey’s influence in Syria grows. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited Israel on March 30, and Greece is negotiating with Israel to purchase Barak medium-range air defense systems.
Trump and the “Unfriendly Takeover”
While Trump often touts his good relationship with Erdogan, he has also criticized Turkey. In December, he accused Erdogan of orchestrating an “unfriendly takeover” of Syria after Assad’s fall to Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), expressing concern over Turkish expansionism: “They’ve wanted [Syria] for thousands of years, and he took it.” Former Trump advisor Steve Bannon recently called Erdogan “one of the most dangerous leaders” globally, claiming he seeks to “reestablish the Ottoman Empire” on his War Room podcast.
Turkey’s F-35 dispute with the U.S. dates back to 2019 when Ankara’s purchase of Russia’s S-400 missile system led to its expulsion from the jet’s co-production program. The Trump administration imposed sanctions on Turkey the following year. MEE reports suggest Ankara is considering temporarily deploying S-400 systems to T4 or Palmyra in Syria to secure airspace during base reconstruction, pending Russia’s approval. Such a move would likely alarm Israel, which has long held veto power over U.S. arms sales to Middle Eastern states to maintain its qualitative military edge.