US Senate votes to bring down F-35 jet transfer programme to Turkey

The US Senate voted late on Monday to block the sale of F35 fighter jets to Turkey over Ankara’s military deals with Russia and continued detention of American pastor Andrew Brunson.

By an overwhelming vote of 85 to 10, the bipartisan majority approved the bill to halt the transfer of at least 100 F-35 jets to Turkey.

Senators said the policies of the Nato member, including talks with Russia to buy an S-400 anti-aircraft weapons system, were threatening to the alliance.

The Senate approved the Turkey amendment to the National Defence Authorisation Act filed by senators Jeanne Shaheen, Thom Tillis and James Lankford. Now the US House of Representatives will have to approve the bill for any sale to be stopped.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said yesterday that the decision was lamentable and against the spirit of Nato. Mr Yildirim, speaking before a contentious election on Sunday, said that his government was “not without alternatives”.

The 1,140-page act calls for Ankara to be removed from the F-35 programme. In 2002, Turkey became a member of the Joint Strike Fighter programme and has at least 100 F-35 fighters on order from the US.

It warns Turkey that buying the S-400 system would breach the “Countering Russian Influence in Europe and Eurasia Act” passed by Congress last year.

This bill calls on US President Donald Trump to apply sanctions on any person or entity engaged in deals to buy Russian weapons, such as the air defence system.

If the S-400 deal is concluded, Turkey and its officials could be targeted. The new bill lists the deal as a threat to the security of the Nato alliance and calls on US Secretary of Defence James Mattis to submit “a plan to remove the government of the Republic of Turkey from participation in the F-35 programme”.

The plan must include the necessary steps to unwind Turkish industrial participation in making and assembling the F-35 programme and a breakdown of the costs associated with replacing tools and other manufacturing materials held by Turkish industry.

It must also cover the timelines associated with the removal of the Turkish government industry from taking part in the F-35 programme.

Also required are steps to ban the transfer of any F-35 aircraft owned and operated by Turkey.

Any deliberations could take another month before a block effectively takes place.

The US defence giant Lockheed Martin is expected to transfer two F-35 jets to Turkey tomorrow, a move that is still expected to occur legally.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said that the decision was lamentable and against the spirit of Nato