Author: Shushan Frangulian

ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date:

Contact: Danielle Saroyan

Telephone: (202) 393-3434

Web: www.aaainc.org

U.S. SENATORS INTRODUCE
BILL TO PROHIBIT TRANSFER OF F-35 AIRCRAFT TO TURKEY

WASHINGTON,
D.C. – On March 28, Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH),
Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) introduced S.922, a bipartisan
bill also known as the "Protecting NATO Skies Act of 2019" which
prohibits the transfer of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft to Turkey until
the United States certifies that Turkey will not accept delivery of Russia's
S-400 air defense system, reported the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly).

"It's concerning that Turkey would seek close
defense cooperation with Russia, whose authoritarian ruler seeks to undermine
NATO and U.S. interests at every turn. That's why I am glad to partner with
Senators Shaheen, Van Hollen, and Tillis to introduce this bipartisan bill that
sends a clear message to the Turkish government that it cannot have sensitive,
state-of-the-art American military technology and Russian military
technology," said Senator Lankford.

"Make no mistake – the Kremlin is an adversary
of the United States and many of our NATO allies. The prospect of Russia having
access to U.S. aircraft and technology in a NATO country, Turkey, is a serious
national and global security risk," Senator Shaheen stated. "This
bipartisan bill will help ensure the safety and security of the United States
and our transatlantic community."

"As a member of NATO, Turkey must not undermine
the security of the United States and our allies. Operating the Russian S-400
missile defense system alongside the F-35 aircraft would do exactly that, and
we cannot allow that to happen. This bipartisan legislation would draw a hard
line in the sand and protect vital national security interests, and the Senate
should consider it without delay," Senator Van Hollen said.

Last year, Senators Shaheen, Lankford, and Tillis
introduced S.2781, a similar bill to restrict the transfer of fighter aircraft
to Turkey. A version of the bill was included as an amendment in the Fiscal
Year (FY) 2019 National Defense Authorization Act directing the Secretary of
Defense to submit a plan to Congress to remove Turkey from participation in the
F-35 program. Spearheaded by Senator Van Hollen and with the support of State
and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC),
the Committee adopted this amendment which would expressly prohibit spending
funds from FY 2019 – as well as prior fiscal years – to transfer, or facilitate
the transfer, of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters to Turkey until the Secretary of
State certifies that Turkey is not purchasing and will not accept deliveries of
the Russian S-400 missile defense system.

"The Armenian Assembly welcomes this latest
initiative. Turkey has proven time and time again that its actions and policies
could not be further from U.S. interests than any presumed ally. Turkey's
surreptitious attempts to influence American politics have been increasingly
exposed in the past year, and this bill sends a strong message that Turkey's
actions do have consequences," stated Assembly Co-Chairs Anthony Barsamian
and Van Krikorian.

In an article published by the Gatestone Institute,
Dr. Lawrence A. Franklin, who served under U.S. Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld,
wrote: "The number of instances where Turkey and U.S. interests now clash,
and the accumulated ill will that these disagreements are begetting, suggests
that Turkey is no longer a dependable ally of the United States."

"Just this past week, Turkey-based front
companies were exposed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of
Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) as part of a network with Iran and the United
Arab Emirates to have transferred over a billion dollars and euros to the
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iran's Ministry of Defense and
Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL), in addition to procuring millions of dollars'
worth of vehicles for MODAFL," Barsamian and Krikorian added.

Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of
America is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting
public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a
non-partisan, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.

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NR#
2019-012

Photo
Caption 1: Senator James Lankford (R-OK), Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH),
Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)

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