Republican Senators are trying to stop Erdogan from receiving the F-35 fighter jet

Republican Senator James Lankford is 100 percent correct. One of the world’s most brutal rulers should not be in possession of the world’s most advanced fighter jet. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has used his already formidable military to ruthlessly butcher Kurdish villagers in his native Turkey. He has used his air force to harass and bully neighboring Greece and Cyprus. In March, 2018, Erdogan called for an “army of Islam” to attack Israel. Erdogan also provides military support to Hamas.

In addition, Erdogan has indicated that he will purchase the Russian S-400 air defense system. This is a total violation of NATO policy. What is the point of NATO if its members can collaborate with the Russian military? Recently, American pastor Andrew Bunson was jailed in Turkey on charges of colluding with terrorist groups. Oh really? If convicted (which is likely), this poor pastor will be sent to a Turkish hellhole for a long time. Call your Senators and demand that they support Senator Lankford’s effort to stop the butcher Erdogan from receiving the F-35 fighter jets.

“Senators aim to block F-35 sales to Turkey in defense bill,” by Travis J. Tritten, Washington Examiner, June 7, 2018:

Three senators are aiming to block F-35 joint strike fighter jet sales to Turkey as part of the annual defense policy bill now poised for a vote in the Senate.

An amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act filed by Sens. Thom Tillis, Jeanne Shaheen, and James Lankford would take a harder approach toward Ankara than current House and Senate language, which require Pentagon reports that could delay sales.

The senators are proposing a prohibition on sales of the high-tech fighters and associated hardware unless President Trump certifies that Turkey is not threatening NATO, buying defense equipment from Russia, or detaining U.S. citizens….

Turkey wants to buy 100 of the aircraft, which are made by Lockheed Martin, and plans to also participate in production and sustainment of the aircraft and its engines.

U.S. lawmakers have slammed the NATO ally and its President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for seeking to buy the S-400 Triumf air defense system from Russia despite sanctions on such sales.

Turkey has also increased tensions due to its 2016 detention of pastor Andrew Brunson on charges of colluding with terrorist groups.

A group of 66 senators including Tillis, Shaheen and Lankford wrote a letter to Erdogan in April calling the charges against the pastor an “absurd collection of anonymous accusations, flights of fantasy, and random character assassination.”…