Turkey Is Cozying Up To China After F-35 Expulsion, Israelis Warn « Breaking Defense - Defense industry news, analysis and commentary

Turkey Is Cozying Up To China After F-35 Expulsion, Israelis Warn « Breaking Defense - Defense industry news, analysis and commentary: TEL AVIV: The expulsion of Turkey from the F-35 program could lead to closer relations for the NATO ally with China, a move likely to have far-reaching implications in the Middle East, Israeli national security experts say. There is no doubt that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will now strengthen relations with China, says Uzi Rabi, director of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies here. “He knows that the Chinese have a very multi-targeted policy. They attach military help with economic interests, and Turkey will have to consider it and accept it.” Closer ties between Turkey and China will harm Washington’s work in its trade war with China, he said. In July, Erdogan visited China and declared that he is a great supporter of China’s so-called Belt and Road Initiative. Jacob Perry, former head of the Israeli General Security Service — better known as Shin Bet — told Breaking Defense that relations between Turkey and China should pique very close attention from the United States and Israel — “and I mean very close attention.” According to Oded Eran and Galia Lindenstrauss, two senior researchers in the Israeli Institute for National Security Studies (I