Trump cuts off F-35 for Turkey. And lawmakers say sanctions are coming.
After days of silence about whether Turkey will be punished for accepting a Russian-made air defense system, U.S. President Donald Trump has made it clear: Turkey will now be cut off from the F-35.
“And we are now telling Turkey ... we’re not going to sell you the F-35 fighter jets,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday, making clear that he was reluctant about the decision.
Trump portrayed the Obama administration as refusing to sell Turkey an American alternative, the Patriot missile defense system, until after the S-400 purchase was complete.
“It’s a very tough situation that they’re in. And it’s a very tough situation that we’ve been placed in the United States," Trump said. “With all of that being said, we’re working through it. We’ll see what happens, but it’s not really fair.”
The president did not say whether he would impose sanctions on Turkey under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, or CAATSA. But members of Congress this week said the law is very clear: Trump has no choice but to sanction its NATO ally.
Days ago, Erdoğan has expressed a belief that Trump has the authority to waive sanctions on Turkey for its purchase of the Russian air defense systems and must “find the middle ground.” But Trump may find Congress closed the door to compromise last year when it set a high bar to waive U.S. sanctions on countries that buy Russian weapons.
Lawmakers from both parties said the waiver language was included to accommodate allies India and Vietnam, it was tailor-made not to let Turkey off the hook for its purchase of the S-400, and a waiver would be impermissible under current circumstances. The White House, under the law, will instead have to choose from the law’s menu of sanctions, several lawmakers said.
“There’s wide latitude about what to do about the sanctions, but the sanctions certainly need to be put in place,” Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., a Turkey critic and one of the lawmakers involved in drafting the waiver provision, said Tuesday.
https://www.defensenews.com/congress/20 ... re-coming/
Remarks by President Trump in Cabinet Meeting
Issued on: July 16, 2019
Q Mr. President, what about Turkey and sanctions? Turkey and sanctions?
THE PRESIDENT: We’re talking to Turkey. We’re speaking to Turkey.
Q What are you saying to them, sir?
THE PRESIDENT: I’ve had a very good relationship. And, frankly, it’s a very complex situation. The Obama administration would not sell them the Patriot missiles. They need the Patriot missiles for defense. They would not sell them, under any circumstance.
And Turkey tried very hard to buy them, and they wouldn’t sell them, and this went on for a long period of time. And it was as soon as they found out that they were going to have to buy the missiles — a comparable missile — not as good a missile, but a comparable, almost, missile from Russia, all of a sudden everybody started rushing and saying to Turkey, “Okay, we’ll sell you the Patriot missile.” It was only when they found out they couldn’t get it, then, they say, “Let’s go, we’ll sell you the Patriot missile.”
But, by that time, Turkey had already signed and paid a lot of money to Russia for the missile system that they were not allowed to buy here, foolishly — because Turkey is a NATO member.
Turkey has also ordered over a hundred F-35 planes — substantially over a hundred — and they have plans to order more. But because they have a system of missiles that’s made in Russia, they’re now prohibited from buying over a hundred planes. I would say that Lockheed isn’t exactly happy. That’s a lot of jobs.
And, frankly, I’ve always had a very good relationship. We have Pastor Brunson — came back, at my request, when I called up. Pastor Brunson was going to be in jail for 25 years. And I called President Erdogan, and I said, “Listen, he’s an innocent man. He’s a pastor. He’s a religious man. He’s not a spy. He’s not the things they said.” And we had a couple of conversations, and I was able to get him back. Along with many other people, I was able to get back. The press doesn’t want to write about it.
Our ambassador for hostage negotiations said, “Trump is the greatest of all time.” I only tell you that because you’ll never say it. But I guess we have 21 back. I got 21 back. I don’t pay, either — unlike the $1.8 billion that was paid by the Obama administration to get hostages back. I don’t pay because, once you pay, it doesn’t work out.
So what happens is we have a situation where Turkey is very good with us. Very good. And we are now telling Turkey that, because you have really been forced to buy another missile system, we’re not going to sell you the F-35 fighter jets. It’s a very tough situation that they’re in. And it’s a very tough situation that we’ve been placed in — the United States.
With all of that being said, we’re working through it. We’ll see what happens. But it’s not really fair. They wanted to buy — I don’t stick up for countries. I don’t stick up for Turkey. I don’t stick up — other than I’ve had a good relationship with President Erdogan.
He wanted to buy our Patriot missile. We wouldn’t sell it. And then, when he made a — and he really wanted to buy it. And then, when he made a deal with another country — Russia — to buy their system that he didn’t even want, then, all of the sudden, we say, “Oh, okay. We’ll now sell you the Patriot.” And because of the fact he bought a Russian missile, we’re not allowed to sell him billions of dollars’ worth of aircraft. It’s not a fair situation.
Do you have something to add to that, Mike?
SECRETARY POMPEO: No, sir. I think you explained it well.
THE PRESIDENT: I think so. Good. You said the right thing. (Laughter.)
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-st ... eeting-14/