US Congress passes a defense budget bill calling for punishing Turkey

The US Senate approved on Tuesday a draft defense budget calling for the exclusion of Turkey from the "F-35" fighter project, and advised the imposition of sanctions against it, because it purchased S-400 systems from Russia.

18 December, 2019 06:03

NEWS DESK

The Hill newspaper said that Senators voted 86 to 8 to approve the National Defense Approval Act (NDAA), which was sent to the office of US President Donald Trump for approval.

The US Congress passed the Defense Budget Bill for 2020, which amounts to $ 738 billion, that allows the United States government to spend $ 30 million to stockpile 6 F-35 fighters that were to be transported to Turkey.

By adopting the defense budget, the US Congress confirmed its support for excluding Turkey from the F-35 fighter project.

The defense budget project, which was previously approved by the House of Representatives, also includes recommendations on implementing restrictive measures against Turkey because of its purchase of Russian S-400 air defense missile systems, within the framework of the "Act to confront America's enemies through sanctions."

In July 17, and in response to Turkey's insistence on implementing the purchase of the S-400 systems under a contract concluded in 2017, the United States began suspending the latter's participation in the F-35 fighters program, considering that Ankara's position would harm cooperation between the two countries, while threatening to impose sanctions on the Turkish side, which is called by US lawmakers.

J.O