Top US senator: No F-35 jets for Turkey until Russia's S-400 missiles 'gone'
Republican Sen. Jim Risch made the statement during the nomination hearing for Tom Barrack to be the next US ambassador to Turkey. Barrack emphasized Ankara's strategic role in countering Iran in the region and promoting stability in Syria.
WASHINGTON/ NEW YORK — Republican Sen. Jim Risch, the Foreign Relations Committee's new chairman, said on Tuesday that Turkey will not receive F-35 fighter jets from the United States until the Russian S-400 air defense missile system is "gone" from the country.
Risch made the remarks during the confirmation hearing of Thomas Barrack, President Donald Trump’s nominee for ambassador to Turkey. He described Turkey as a "real problem," citing its 2017 purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system.
The senator said he will not allow any sale of F-35 fighter jets to go through until Turkey ditches the S-400, adding that he has expressed his view to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
"They're still sitting here in the United States. They've been paid for. But I’ve told him (Erdogan) they’re (the F-35s) not moving until those S400s are gone from Turkey," said Risch.
