An F-35-armed neo-Ottoman Turkey? The threat won’t end with Israel

The article argues that providing F-35 fighter jets to Turkey would be a profound betrayal of American ideals and its allies, including Israel. The author, a member of the Tigrinya nation, draws historical parallels to the Ottoman Empire's past expansionism and atrocities against indigenous peoples in the Red Sea region. Turkey, under President Erdoğan, is described as pursuing a "Neo-Ottoman agenda" with military footprints across Somalia, Syria, Libya, and Sudan, aiming to dominate the Red Sea and Mediterranean. The author states, "The Jewish state is not Erdoğan’s final target." The F-35 would empower Ankara's expansionist ambitions, threatening regional stability and ancient civilizations. The article concludes that nothing justifies providing this advanced military technology to an increasingly authoritarian and Islamist regime.