Michael Lawler
07/02/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/02/2026 12:09
Lawler, Sherman Lead Bipartisan Letter Urging President Trump to Maintain Prohibition of F-35 Sales to Turkey
Washington, D.C. - 7/2/26… Today, Reps. Mike Lawler (NY-17) and Brad Sherman (CA-32) led a group of colleagues in a bipartisan letter to President Trump expressing deep concern over any effort to sell F-35 fighter jets to Turkey.
The F-35 program is one of the Department of Defense's most strategically important initiatives, designed to strengthen interoperability between the United States and allied nations while enhancing collective defense capabilities. Through shared production and common aircraft systems, the program has become a cornerstone of military coordination across NATO and other allied partnerships.
The lawmakers argue that President Erdoğan's continued aggression toward U.S. allies and Turkey's deepening ties with American adversaries make the sale of F-35 aircraft contrary to America's national security interests.
"In 2019, despite repeated warnings from both the U.S. and our NATO allies, President Erdogan decided to purchase the Russian-made S-400 air defense system while still remaining a partner in the F-35 program. This posed a major security threat, and your Administration officially removed Turkey from the program as a result," wrote the lawmakers.
Since then, the lawmakers note that Turkey has continued to take actions that undermine regional stability, including maintaining a military presence in Cyprus, escalating tensions with Greece over maritime and airspace disputes, increasing anti-Israel rhetoric, and maintaining bilateral relations with Iran. While Turkey has been a NATO ally since 1952, the letter argues it has not demonstrated the reliability expected of a trusted partner in recent years.
"Congress and the State Department have been clear on the issue of selling the F-35 aircraft to Turkey. It is the law that while Turkey possesses the S-400 missile defense system, purchased from Russia, a sale is dangerous to NATO and could undermine the entire F-35 fleet. Until those underlying conditions change, Congress must continue to oppose the sale, and the Administration must comply with the law," said Tyler Stapleton, Senior Director of Government Relations, FDD Action.
"We join Congressman Lawler in opposing the sale of America's most advanced weapons systems to Turkey - an increasingly hostile state that threatens U.S. interests and America's allies," said Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Executive Director Aram Hamparian.
"Turkey, under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has chosen a path that consistently undermines U.S. national interests, empowers violent extremism and destabilizes key American partners in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East. Erdogan has been one of Hamas' most vocal supporters - openly embracing Hamas leadership, hosting operatives in Ankara and providing terrorists with material and financial support. Advanced weaponry such as the F-35 should be off the table so long as Ankara floats U.S. laws and behaves as a state sponsor of terrorism," said CUFI Action Fund Chairwoman Sandra Hagee Parker.
"The Armenian Assembly of America strongly opposes the sale of F-35s to Turkey," said Mariam Khaloyan, Director of Congressional Relations of the Armenian Assembly of America. "Providing Turkey with one of America's most advanced defense platforms rewards a government that has repeatedly destabilized the region and supported Azerbaijan's aggression against Armenians. This sale would send the wrong message at a time when the United States should be advancing accountability and peace in the South Caucasus."
The letter was co-signed by Reps Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11), Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Jeff Hurd (CO- 03), Max Miller (OH-07), Young Kim (CA-40), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), Gabe Amo (RI-01), and Jared Moskowitz (FL-23).
The full letter can be found HERE.
Congressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and represents New York's 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties. He was rated the most effective freshman lawmaker in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.
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The F-35 program is one of the Department of Defense's most strategically important initiatives, designed to strengthen interoperability between the United States and allied nations while enhancing collective defense capabilities. Through shared production and common aircraft systems, the program has become a cornerstone of military coordination across NATO and other allied partnerships.
The lawmakers argue that President Erdoğan's continued aggression toward U.S. allies and Turkey's deepening ties with American adversaries make the sale of F-35 aircraft contrary to America's national security interests.
"In 2019, despite repeated warnings from both the U.S. and our NATO allies, President Erdogan decided to purchase the Russian-made S-400 air defense system while still remaining a partner in the F-35 program. This posed a major security threat, and your Administration officially removed Turkey from the program as a result," wrote the lawmakers.
Since then, the lawmakers note that Turkey has continued to take actions that undermine regional stability, including maintaining a military presence in Cyprus, escalating tensions with Greece over maritime and airspace disputes, increasing anti-Israel rhetoric, and maintaining bilateral relations with Iran. While Turkey has been a NATO ally since 1952, the letter argues it has not demonstrated the reliability expected of a trusted partner in recent years.
"Congress and the State Department have been clear on the issue of selling the F-35 aircraft to Turkey. It is the law that while Turkey possesses the S-400 missile defense system, purchased from Russia, a sale is dangerous to NATO and could undermine the entire F-35 fleet. Until those underlying conditions change, Congress must continue to oppose the sale, and the Administration must comply with the law," said Tyler Stapleton, Senior Director of Government Relations, FDD Action.
"We join Congressman Lawler in opposing the sale of America's most advanced weapons systems to Turkey - an increasingly hostile state that threatens U.S. interests and America's allies," said Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Executive Director Aram Hamparian.
"Turkey, under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has chosen a path that consistently undermines U.S. national interests, empowers violent extremism and destabilizes key American partners in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East. Erdogan has been one of Hamas' most vocal supporters - openly embracing Hamas leadership, hosting operatives in Ankara and providing terrorists with material and financial support. Advanced weaponry such as the F-35 should be off the table so long as Ankara floats U.S. laws and behaves as a state sponsor of terrorism," said CUFI Action Fund Chairwoman Sandra Hagee Parker.
"The Armenian Assembly of America strongly opposes the sale of F-35s to Turkey," said Mariam Khaloyan, Director of Congressional Relations of the Armenian Assembly of America. "Providing Turkey with one of America's most advanced defense platforms rewards a government that has repeatedly destabilized the region and supported Azerbaijan's aggression against Armenians. This sale would send the wrong message at a time when the United States should be advancing accountability and peace in the South Caucasus."
The letter was co-signed by Reps Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11), Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Jeff Hurd (CO- 03), Max Miller (OH-07), Young Kim (CA-40), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), Gabe Amo (RI-01), and Jared Moskowitz (FL-23).
The full letter can be found HERE.
Congressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and represents New York's 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties. He was rated the most effective freshman lawmaker in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.
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