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Source: https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/5957574-erdogan-authoritarianism-threat-nato/
Erdogan's Turkey Must Not Get the F-35
(The Hill) Dan Perry - President Trump now wants to sell Turkey's President Erdogan F-35 stealth fighters, even though it would irreparably harm American security. Ankara was expelled from F-35 eligibility in 2019 after it chose to purchase Russia's S-400 air defense system. This was done for a good reason: A partnership with Russian air defense systems weakens the F-35's ability to evade Russian radar - which was critical to the ability of the U.S. (and Israel) to control the skies over Iran in the recent war. Trump must not sell Turkey these planes. The fear that Moscow could gain insight into NATO's most advanced aircraft will probably create congressional hurdles to the administration's plans to make such a sale. Moreover, Turkey's posture toward Israel has become steadily more extreme. The F-35 is a flying intelligence platform - a symbol of trust and a core component of American and allied air superiority. Countries receive it because Washington believes they will safeguard its technology and not pass it on to Russia. Turkey broke that trust when it bought the S-400 despite American warnings. The writer is the former London-based Europe-Africa editor and Cairo-based Middle East editor for the Associated Press.