Greek American Rep. Nicole Malliotakis said she is firmly opposed to any sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, arguing in a Bloomberg interview that Ankara’s policies under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan make it an unreliable recipient of advanced US military technology.
The New York Republican raised the issue while discussing a broader congressional briefing on US policy in the Middle East. She said she planned to press the Trump administration over the possibility of Turkey reentering the F-35 program, a long-running point of tension in Washington and a matter of particular concern for Greece and the Greek-American community.
“I’m 100% opposed to this,” Malliotakis said during the interview.
Why Malliotakis Opposes the Sale
Malliotakis said Turkey may be a NATO ally, but she argued that its conduct under Erdogan should disqualify it from gaining access to America’s most advanced fighter jets.
She pointed to Turkey’s ties with Russia and Iran, its stance toward Hamas, and its actions in the Eastern Mediterranean. “I think that, you know, they’ve also called for the complete destruction of Israel,” she said.
Malliotakis also cited Turkish military activity over Greek territory. She said Turkey has been “running flights of military jets above Greek islands and intimidating their neighbor who is also a NATO ally.”
She also referred to Turkey’s occupation of Cyprus, saying Ankara has been “illegally occupying Cyprus for decades now.”
Focus on Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean
Greece has deepened defense ties with the United States in recent years and is itself moving ahead with the acquisition of F-35 fighter jets. Athens has presented itself in Washington as a stable ally at a time when concerns over Turkey’s regional posture remain high.
Malliotakis framed her opposition partly in those terms, saying the United States should not provide “our premier jets and that type of intelligence” to a country she said has aligned itself with Russia and Iran.
Her comments reflect a broader view in Congress that Turkey’s past purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system, along with disputes with fellow NATO allies, raised serious concerns about interoperability and security. The United States removed Turkey from the F-35 program in 2019 after the S-400 acquisition, saying the Russian system could compromise the stealth fighter.
A Familiar Debate in Washington
The question of whether Turkey could eventually regain access to advanced US fighter aircraft has remained politically sensitive in Washington. Lawmakers from both parties, especially those with close ties to the Greek and Armenian communities, have often voiced concern over rewarding Ankara without major policy changes.
Why the Issue Matters
The debate is not only about military procurement. For Greece, the transfer of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey would be seen through the lens of a wider regional rivalry that includes disputes over sovereignty, deterrence, and stability in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean.
At the same time, Washington is balancing several competing interests: maintaining NATO cohesion, managing relations with Turkey, and supporting allies such as Greece. That makes any shift in US policy toward Ankara closely watched in Athens, Nicosia, and among diaspora communities in the United States.
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