Congress members urge blocking F-35 sale to Turkey

Members of the U.S. Congress are calling on House leadership to be prepared to block the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey. They intend to submit a Joint Resolution of Disapproval should the Trump administration attempt to facilitate the acquisition. This initiative is led by Nevada Democratic Representative Dina Titus.

The letter, which will be sent once sufficient signatures are gathered, is addressed to Republican Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. The lawmakers urge them to utilize all available legislative tools if the administration tries to reintegrate Turkey into the F-35 program in a way that bypasses or lifts sanctions under the CAATSA law without adequate legal basis.

The letter emphasizes that reintegrating Turkey into the F-35 program would put the administration in direct conflict with its legal obligations. The lawmakers highlight the urgency of the matter, reminding that sanctions imposed by the first Trump administration in December 2020 on the Turkish Defense Industry Presidency (SSB) remain in effect. The reasons for these sanctions have not been revoked, nor have the underlying causes ceased to exist.

Specifically, Article 231 of the CAATSA law, enacted in August 2017, mandates that the president impose sanctions on any individual or entity knowingly engaging in a significant transaction with a party acting on behalf of the Russian Federation's defense or intelligence sector. Turkey's purchase of the S-400 missile system is cited as precisely such a transaction. The letter notes that there is no public information to suggest Turkey has removed, permanently disabled, or otherwise addressed the S-400 system's operational status or the reasons for the initial sanctions.

Furthermore, the lawmakers invoke Article 216(c)(3) of CAATSA, which grants Congress the authority to react when an administration attempts to lift or circumvent congressionally mandated sanctions. Based on this provision, they are requesting the submission of a Joint Resolution of Disapproval, a legislative mechanism through which Congress can attempt to block such executive decisions. The letter's signatories recall that CAATSA was approved with an overwhelming bipartisan majority in both chambers precisely to ensure that Congress, not any single president, maintains substantial control over decisions regarding the lifting of sanctions or the provision of advanced U.S. military technology to adversaries.