Greek and Jewish Lobbies Unite to Block Türkiye’s Reentry into U.S. F-35 Program
F35
In Washington, D.C., prominent Jewish and Greek lobbying organizations have launched a coordinated campaign aimed at preventing Türkiye’s reentry into the U.S. F-35 fighter jet program. These groups argue that Türkiye’s acquisition of advanced fifth-generation F-35 aircraft would jeopardize regional stability and undermine NATO’s collective defense framework.
Greek, Jewish Advocacy Groups Lead the Opposition
At the forefront of the lobbying initiative are the International Coordinating Committee Justice for Cyprus (PSEKA) and the Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC). Both organizations have raised concerns over Türkiye’s military alignment with Russia, referencing the 2017 purchase of the Russian S-400 missile system as a central point of contention.
In a press statement, PSEKA emphasized that the F-35 should be restricted to America’s “most trusted allies.” The group criticized efforts by Türkiye to remove CAATSA sanctions and rejoin the F-35 program, urging U.S. lawmakers to resist any policy reversals.
HALC Pressures U.S. Lawmakers to Block Fighter Jet Sale
HALC has taken proactive steps, including sending letters to key U.S. legislators such as Senators Ben Cardin, James Risch, and Representatives Michael McCaul and Gregory Meeks. The letters urge them to oppose any potential F-35 sale to Türkiye, citing the risk that U.S. military assets could be used in ways that conflict with the interests of American allies.
The letter also references Türkiye’s military operations in Syria and ongoing friction with other NATO members, framing them as indicators of Türkiye’s unreliability as a defense partner.
From Key Partner to Exclusion: Türkiye’s F-35 Fallout
Türkiye was once a founding partner in the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program, having joined the F-35 development initiative in 2002. However, its decision to proceed with the S-400 missile purchase from Russia led to a complete suspension of its F-35 participation in 2019.
Since then, Ankara has consistently pushed to rejoin the program, though resistance remains firm from Greek and Jewish advocacy groups, and notably, from Israel, which views Türkiye’s potential access to F-35s as a regional security threat.
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