Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) publicly broke with the Trump administration this week over its push to sell advanced F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, warning that the deal raises serious national security concerns.
In a post on social media, Lawler laid out his opposition to the proposed sale of one of the most sophisticated weapons platforms in the U.S. arsenal.
“The Administration’s push to sell F-35 fighter aircraft to Turkey raises significant national security concerns,” the congressman wrote.
Lawler acknowledged Turkey’s status as a NATO ally but argued that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s conduct has repeatedly cast doubt on the country’s dependability as a strategic partner. That track record, he noted, is precisely why lawmakers acted to block such a transfer in the past.
“That’s why Congress legally prohibited the transfer of F35s to Turkey in the first place,” Lawler wrote.
Pointing to Turkey’s posture toward U.S. allies in both Europe and the Middle East, Lawler said he remains firmly against the sale.
“I remain deeply opposed to the sale of one of America’s most advanced military platforms to Turkey and do not believe it is in the best interests of the United States,” he wrote.
The pushback is notable coming from a Republican lawmaker, marking a point of friction between the administration and members of its own party on a sensitive foreign policy and defense matter. Lawler’s post was amplified by conservative commentator Erick Erickson.
Turkey was previously removed from the F-35 program during Trump’s first term over its purchase of a Russian missile defense system, a decision that reflected long-running concerns about Ankara’s reliability within the alliance.
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