NO. 74

The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) commends the initiative of United States Senators to keep Turkey in check by requesting the U.S. Department of Defense to remove Turkey from the supply chain of the F-35 Lighting II Joint Strike Fighter.

U.S. Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), James Lankford (R-OK), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) sent the July 6 bipartisan-supported letter to Defense Secretary Mark Esper that stated: “As you know, we have worked together in the Senate on issues of U.S.-Turkey relations for several years and remain concerned about the direction Turkey is taking under the leadership of President Erdogan. From human rights violations in Syria to arbitrary arrests of Americans in Ankara to defense cooperation with Russia, Turkey is not behaving like a responsible actor or working collaboratively with the West at the level we expect from a NATO ally.” 

“We commend the Senators for working to ensure that Turkey is held for its actions that violate U.S. law and are not in the best interests of the United States,” AHI President Nick Larigakis said. “The matter is crystal clear—U.S. law explicitly prohibits the transfer of the F-35 to Turkey while it has Russian military equipment that could compromise the aircraft. The Senators are asking the Pentagon to follow the law and remove Turkey from the F-35 supply chain.”

He added, “We appreciate the Senators’ efforts to explain President Erdogan’s rogue actions to Secretary Esper.”