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Four Greek-American members of Congress urged U.S. President Donald Trump to maintain Türkiye's exclusion from the F-35 fighter jet program, warning that readmitting Ankara would "violate U.S. law and compromise sensitive military technology."
Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R), Nicole Malliotakis (R), Dina Titus (D), and Chris Pappas (D) issued a joint statement on Monday, ahead of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's scheduled meeting with President Trump at the White House on Thursday.
"The United States must be very careful when engaging in negotiations, particularly as it relates to discussions surrounding Türkiye's potential reentry into the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program," the Greek-American lawmakers said.
The congressional group emphasized that Türkiye was "rightfully excluded" from the F-35 program in 2019 after acquiring Russia's S-400 missile defense system, calling it "a clear violation of U.S. law under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA)."
"President Erdogan's decision to pursue military cooperation with the Russian Federation, despite Türkiye's NATO obligations, directly undermines U.S. defense technology security and threatens the strategic integrity of allied defense cooperation," the lawmakers said.
The representatives warned that Türkiye's continued possession of the S-400 system while seeking access to F-35 aircraft "risks exposing sensitive U.S. military capabilities to Russian intelligence, eroding allied trust, and jeopardizing the development of next-generation military platforms."
The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) also mobilized against potential arms deals with Türkiye.
AHI President Nick Larigakis sent a letter to President Trump urging him to adopt a strict stance toward Ankara and reject any new weapons programs for Türkiye, including F-16 and F-35 fighters.
In the letter, Larigakis stated, "Türkiye’s actions require a firm, unambiguous public U.S. response—by holding Türkiye accountable for its violations of international law and actions against U.S. regional goals in this way, you can more fully ensure that our national interests are being met."
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