TEHRAN, June 19 - A truly bipartisan letter sponsored by 44 members of the US House of Representatives calls for the US to “prevent the planned delivery of F-35 Lightning II jets” to Turkey. “Turkey is actively operating to undermine US interests around the world,” the legislators said.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) - The letter was addressed to US Defense Secretary James Mattis and was postmarked June 15. The letter was signed by everyone from liberals Ro Khanna, Frank Pallone, Tulsi Gabbard to conservatives Randy Hultgren, Dana Rohrabacher and Ted Poe, demonstrating a growing anti-Turkey sentiment in Washington.
The F-35, better known as the Joint Strike Fighter, is one of the few fifth-generation jets in the world, and a shipment is slated to be delivered to Ankara in late June — but not if the lawmakers have their way.
We must hold Turkey accountable for conduct that threatens US national security, undermines the interests of our partners and allies, and represents a broadside attack against fundamental democratic values," the lawmakers said. "For these reasons, we urge you to take whatever steps necessary to prevent the planned delivery of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey."
The F-35 rift is the latest marker of tension in the seemingly delicate military alliance between the US and Turkey under NATO.
The US and Turkey have clashed repeatedly over the issue of Kurds in Syria. While top US officials have commented in awe about how effectively Kurdish forces fought against Daesh in Syria's civil war, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has long condemned the Kurds, who it dismisses as terrorists. Many Kurds also live across the border in eastern Turkey.
Source: Sputnik
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