A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers has urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to oppose any move to reinstate Turkey in the F-35 fighter jet program, warning that such a step would endanger American defense technology and national security.
In a letter sent to Mr. Rubio, 40 members of Congress argued that re-admitting Ankara without first addressing its possession of the Russian-made S-400 missile defense system would compromise the integrity of the U.S. aircraft program.
The lawmakers stressed that the S-400’s presence in Turkey creates a risk of sensitive information being exposed to Russian intelligence, potentially undermining the U.S. defense industry and eroding allied trust in American weapons systems.
The effort was spearheaded by Representatives Chris Pappas, Gus Bilirakis, Dina Titus and Nicole Malliotakis. While signatories included members from both parties, Republican support was strategically cultivated, drawing in senior lawmakers with influence over foreign affairs and defense appropriations.
Among them were Representative Darrell Issa, vice chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Representative Mike Lawler, chair of the Middle East and North Africa subcommittee; Representative Keith Self, chair of the Europe subcommittee; and Representative Mario Diaz-Balart, who leads the subcommittee on foreign operations funding. Many of the Republicans from Florida who endorsed the letter previously served alongside Mr. Rubio in Congress before he became secretary of state.
The appeal comes amid reports that Turkey is seeking relief from U.S. sanctions imposed under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that technical talks with Washington on the issue have already begun.
The lawmakers underscored that Congress has maintained a consistent, bipartisan stance over multiple administrations in supporting both the sanctions and Turkey’s removal from the F-35 program. They noted that nearly a decade after acquiring the S-400, Ankara has shown no sign of relinquishing the system, and argued that reversing course now would reward what they described as behavior contrary to the interests of a NATO ally.
The letter was backed by a diverse coalition of advocacy groups, including the American Jewish Committee, the American Friends of Kurdistan, the Armenian National Committee of America, the Coordinated Effort of Hellenes, Christians United for Israel, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies Action, the Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC), the Middle East Forum, the International Coordinating Committee – Justice for Cyprus (PSEKA), and the American Hellenic Institute.