US senators have launched a new effort to block the transfer of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters to Turkey, a move that comes just minutes after Turkey was scheduled to receive its first jets as part of an official ceremony in Fort Worth, Texas, the CNN reports.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers has added an amendment to the Senate’s appropriation bill for the State Department and foreign operations that would prohibit the use of State Department, foreign operations, and related program funds from being used “to transfer, or to facilitate the transfer of, F-35 aircraft to Turkey,” unless the secretary of state certifies that Turkey will not purchase the Russian-made S-400 anti-aircraft missile system.
Although Turkey has long been a participant in the development of the F-35 program, senators have sought to block Turkey from receiving the stealth warplanes amid a deterioration of the US-Turkey relationship and concerns over Ankara’s purchase of the Russian-made anti-aircraft system.
