Turkey suspects Israel fabricated Trump Air Force One assassination plot to derail US-Iran deal

Turkey suspects that Israeli intelligence fabricated a report alleging that Iranian operatives planned to assassinate US President Donald Trump during the NATO summit in Ankara earlier this month. The fabricated report reportedly suggested that Iran could target Trump's brand-new Air Force One near Ankara Airport using shoulder-fired missiles known as Manpads.

This threat led Turkish officials to take extensive security precautions, including moving Trump's departure from Ankara Airport to Esenboga Airport and bringing back an old Air Force One that had air defense systems which the new aircraft lacked. The Turkish government also transformed the Etimesgut Air Base for the event, allowing heads of state to reach the summit venue within 10 minutes.

US officials told their Turkish counterparts about the Israeli intelligence report, leading to last-minute changes in the security plan. However, Turkish officials now believe that the Israeli intelligence report was likely a ruse by Netanyahu's government to undermine negotiations with Iran and the relationship between Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.