US Senate adopted the bill prohibiting the sale of new-generation weapons such as warplanes F-35 and Chinook type heavy transport helicopter in the defense field. Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım also showed his initial reaction to the decision.

US Senators James Lankford and Jeanne Shaheen sought to ban the F-35 transfer and arms sales over the detention of US' pastor Andrew Brunson priests detained in Turkiye.

After the enactment of the bill, the Minister of Defense was requested to submit a comprehensive report within 60 days to the relevant committee of the Congress on the relations between Turkiye the US.

Democratic Senator from Michigan Jeanne Shaheen and Republican Senator for North Carolina Thom Tillis proposed the amendment to the $716 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for the fiscal year 2019, passed on Thursday by 85 against 10 votes.

It removed Turkiye from the F-35 program over its S-400 purchase from Russia as well as imprisonment of the American Christian pastor in Turkiye on spying and terrorism charges. According to the experts, this step could affect interoperability in NATO.

Due to the reasons mentioned in the bill, the sale of F-35 fighter jets, Patriot air defense systems, Chinook-type heavy transport helicopter, the AH-1 type Cobra, H-60 Black Hawk-type helicopters and F-16 aircraft was mentioned in a part in the bill to be blocked to Turkiye as well.

Before the bill arrives at the desk of US President Donald Trump for approval, the bill needs to be converted into a single law by a joint committee, known as the Conference Committee.

Prime Minister Yıldırım: contrary to the spirit of alliance

Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım, the F-35 decision of the US Senate, "Turkiye is not without the alternative. We take our own precautions. We have national and domestic speed in the defense industry. The embargo does not cause defensive weakness. It is against the spirit of strategic alliances."

ILKHA