Bipartisan lawmakers oppose F-35 fighter jet sales to Turkey
Bipartisan letter opposes F-35 sales to Turkey
A bipartisan group of U.S. representatives led by Mike Lawler (R-NY) and Brad Sherman (D-CA) has urged President Trump to maintain restrictions on selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey.
The letter references Turkey's 2019 purchase of Russian S-400 air defense systems, which prompted the Trump administration to remove Turkey from the F-35 program and Congress to codify restrictions in the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act.
The lawmakers cited Turkey's military presence in Northern Cyprus, tensions with Greece, and relations with Iran as reasons to maintain the prohibition. Michael Rubin, a Middle East Forum analyst, warned that readmitting Turkey would privilege Turkish defense interests over American security concerns.
The Armenian Assembly of America supported the letter, stating that arming Turkey with advanced defense platforms would reward a government that has "repeatedly destabilized the region and supported Azerbaijan's aggression against Armenians."
