Dear Secretary Rubio: 

We are writing to express our concern over reports that the Trump Administration is open to discussing lifting CAATSA sanctions on Turkey and potentially selling it American F-35 jets. These reports come despite the fact that Turkey still possesses Russian S-400 missiles, continuing its violation of U.S. law and its reckless disregard of U.S. national security interests and the obligations of its alliance with the United States and other NATO allies.

In the nearly six years since the imposition of CAATSA sanctions, Turkey’s President Erdogan has rejected all calls to either destroy or dispossess his country of the S-400s, repeatedly stating that Ankara’s agreement with Russia was a done deal and in the interests of Turkey. At the same time, Turkey increased its provocations in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean, threatening U.S. allies and partners throughout the region, but, as you know from your time in the US Senate, also blackmailed Sweden and Finland as they made a historic decision to join the transatlantic alliance.

Turkey’s ties to Hamas are also deeply troubling. Erdogan’s patronage of this terrorist organization, hosting its leadership in Turkey, and his recent calls for the destruction of Israel, put American citizens and American allies at risk. Its ties to Islamist elements in Syria and its attacks against the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian Kurds have directly undermined United States efforts to defeat the Islamic State, and threaten the stability of a post-Assad Syria. Turkey’s abysmal track record on human rights, highlighted by the recent arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, also demonstrates just how far Turkey has drifted away from the West since Erdogan took office.

That arrest prompted Germany to recently veto a British-led proposal to sell roughly three dozen Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Turkey. Germany’s decision reflects a growing consensus among our closest allies that Erdoğan cannot be trusted with advanced Western combat aircraft.​

Now Turkey also wants back into the fifth generation stealth F-35 fighter jet program. The concerns in 2019 that placing the Russian air defense system anywhere near F-35 jets would seriously compromise them ring just as true today. There is also no indication that Turkey will in fact use the F-35s for NATO’s defense. Instead, history shows us it is more likely to use those jets against our allies and partners in the region.

This has been the case in the Aegean Sea, where Turkish overflights, even over inhabited Greek islands, in recent years brought tensions to new heights within the NATO alliance. Turkish jets were used in the Caucasus as Azerbaijan ethnically cleansed Nagorno Karabakh of over 100,000 Armenians. Turkish jets bombed our Kurdish partners in Syria who have been America’s boots on the ground in the fight against ISIS.  Turkey continues to use American weapons to occupy Cyprus, which has become a strategic partner of the United States and plays an increasingly important role for U.S. interests in the region. 

Secretary Rubio, it is imperative that Turkey receive a clear and very public message: Any discussion about lifting CAATSA sanctions needs to begin with the disposal of Russian S-400s, and the only way back into the F-35 program requires that Turkey demonstrates it is in fact an ally that will not use American weapons against American interests, American allies, or American partners. F-35s should only be available to America's most trusted allies. Turkey does not meet that standard. Acquiescing to Erdogan’s demands will only undermine US interests and put Americans at risk.