Malliotakis Statement Opposing Turkey’s Return to F-35 Program: Risks to U.S. national security and the safety of our allies

Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) powerfully opposed Turkey’s lobbying effort to rejoin the F-35 Fighter Jet Program, citing risks to U.S. nationalist information and the information of our allies.

“The Trump Administration indispensable cull Turkey’s propulsion to reenter the F-35 program. President Erdoğan has openly aligned himself with Vladimir Putin, purchasing the Russian S-400 rocket strategy and remaining the lone NATO state to not enforce sanctions connected Russia, portion besides supporting Iran, hosting Hamas leadership, and threatening to invade Israel.

Turkey continues its aggression successful the Mediterranean region, illegally occupying Cyprus and conducting amerciable overflights supra Greek islands.

This is not the behaviour of an ally. Unfortunately, Turkey has excessively often acted much similar an adversary and handing implicit America’s astir precocious stealth combatant jets to a authorities that works with Moscow and Tehran portion embracing terrorists would beryllium reckless and dangerous.

It would not lone endanger U.S. nationalist information but besides enactment Israel, Greece, and Cyprus astatine contiguous risk. For these reasons, we impulse the Trump Administration to artifact immoderate specified woody erstwhile and for all.”