No Deal
President Trump announced that the U.S. is not going sell the F-35 stealth fighter jet to Turkey. The country received a new missile defense system from Russia – an exchange he claims was spurred on by inaction from the Obama administration.
U.S. officials have expressed concerns about Moscow’s potential intelligence gathering on the stealth aircraft if Turkey came to be in possession of both the American aircraft and the Russian Air Defense Missile System.
“Turkey is very good with us, very good,” Trump said. “And we are now telling Turkey, because you have really been forced to buy another missile system, we’re not going to sell you the F-35 fighter jets.”
Trump Cancels Sale of U.S. F-35 Fighter Jets to Turkey
by Simon Kent
The U.S. will cancel the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey after Ankara decided to buy a rival missile defense system from Russia, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed Tuesday.
Russia’s S-400 is considered one of the most advanced air-defense systems in the world.
The U.S. has long argued Turkey’s purchase of the Russian system not only risks the security of NATO members, it also violates the 2017 law threatening sanctions for any purchase of sophisticated Russian technology — the Countering Russian Influence in Europe and Eurasia Act of 2017.
Trump blamed the Obama administration for never reaching a deal to sell a comparable American missile defense system to Turkey.
“Because they have a system of missiles that’s made in Russia, they’re now prohibited from buying over 100 planes,” Trump said of Turkey during in a Cabinet meeting. “I would say that (F-35 manufacturer) Lockheed isn’t exactly happy. That’s a lot of jobs. And frankly I’ve always had a very good relationship” with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Trump said.
Another “gift” from the previous administration. Maybe if we play nice Erdogan will let us have a peek under the hood. Read the rest of the article here: Breitbart
Category: "Teh Stoopid", Foreign Policy, Military issues, Politics
Turkey’s been getting junk from Russia for a while.
Their last delivery of this missile system makes it appear as if Erdogan is playing both sides of the coin.
Ergo, while dTrump is reluctant to sell planes to Turkey, the previous (lack of) administration screwed the pooch and we now see the results.
Really can’t blame him/them for playing both sides. Russia is within pissing distance and the Russians have firm naval control of the Black Sea.
So they want to play the balancing act of keeping the world’s only remaining superpower happy, acquiring our tech, while also not antagonising Russia too much.
And let’s be honest, Russia has some great aerospace tech. Far cheaper and more rugged than ours, with little to no export restrictions.
Just as well. I figure we’ll be adversaries of Turkey in the not too distant future if they keep getting more intently Islamic.
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/05/4-jarring-signs-of-turkeys-growing-islamization/276425/
https://www.turkeyanalyst.org/publications/turkey-analyst-articles/item/437-the-islamization-of-turkey-erdo%C4%9Fan%E2%80%99s-education-reforms.html
https://fanack.com/turkey/history-past-to-present/islamization-of-turkey/
Oh, and let us not forget that Turkey refuses to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide. 1.5 million dead, deportations, concentration camps (real ones, AOC) sounds like a dry run for the Holocaust to me. Sounds like a great place to arm with our best weapons.
My last point was not that those things happened recently, just that, unlike Germany, they are avoiding their sordid past. I wouldn’t wish that Turkey would be as self destructive as Germany has been, but acknowledging the past would be a good start.
They’ve been denying the Armenian Genocide for 100 years now, so it’s practically tradition!
Erdogan has fever dreams of being the leader of a new Ottoman Islamic Empire. Selling F-35’s to any potential enemy nation is an act of insanity or stupidity. We might as well sell them to China, but they would only buy one, so they could copy it.
More of oblowme’s legacy coming back to bite us on the a$$. Flip side of that is I am of the opinion that we should not sell our latest technology to ANYONE, except, maybe, the Brits. And now with the advent of the influx of mooslems into England (Mayor of London is just the start), how ,long before their military and gubmint is overrun with the same type. Also read somewhere that oblowme had set up depot level maintenance of the engines for Turkey. Can anyone confirm/deny that for me?
Looking at a global map it’s not hard to see why Turkey would be a good ally to have. Looking at history…not so much.
What happens to the F 35s that Turkey already has? Do they just keep them and use to reverse engineer the systems to sell/give that info to whoever. To quote Mulder and Scully (another hottie)…Trust no one.
Eternal Vigilance!
Turkey does indeed own a single F-35 for pilot training. Reverse engineering it would be a good trick, as it’s at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona.
The Turks would have to hire the Chinese to reverse engineer it. The Turks are some of he stupidest people I have ever been in the same room with.
In the early 70’s, I sat in a crypto class, then at Mare Island, with TWO Turkish ET Chiefs, and…and, believe it or not, TWO Greek ET type Chiefs. One half of the team was the ET, the other guy, the ‘terp for the team. They ALL were dense, and would rather fight each other in the marking lot, mess hall, heads…Oh, and drive brand new Chevy Camaros. They graduated. The Turks said they would be hung, if they did not graduate. I often wondered who classed them up, together??
We had three Turkish officers in my SF Officer Course; we also had two Greek officers. Fortunately we had two sections of the about 95 person class, so they put the Greeks in one section and the Turks in my section. They also divided up other foreign officers from countries who were hostile to each other. Unfortunately, I was with the Turks who were dumb as a rock and had BO because they wouldn’t bath or wash their uniforms. Many of the foreign students in my section tried to avoid sitting next to them in the class room. Fortunately, when we did Robin Sage or Cherokee Trail (or whatever they called the big FTX) I only had the Nepalese captain on my ODA team as a foreign officer. He was one cool dude with immaculate uniforms.
Thanks Matey, that’s good to know. I was under the mis-impression that they had taken delivery of X # and had them parked on their airfield.
See how easy that was. Politely ask a legitimate question and you get a quick concise answer.
Stuff it, doggie.
*grin*
Great decision trump, now your really talking Turkey. Sorrrrrrrrrrrrry TAH Gals/Guy’s, I just can’t help it.
You are more than forgiven, as I or any other of us TAHers would have eventually done the same.
I wonder if we will continue to keep some nuclear weapons there.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/beta.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/07/16/location-us-nuclear-weapons-europe-accidentally-revealed-report-nato-body/%3foutputType=amp
With Cyprus to the south, that area has more signal analysis capability than any other place on earth. A delicate balance with the Brits.
How are they getting along with Erdogan lately?
While working for an unamed defense contractor a few decades ago there was a Turkish Navy type in the shop that all the girls hated. He was short like that Bagel boi the other day but thought he was the object of their desire.
Dressed in Khakis. It was a fun job.
If Russia were to harass Turkey in the rear, would Greece help? (^__^) Abdulla Bulbul Ameer Oh, the sons of the Prophet are hardy and grim And quite unaccustomed to fear But none were so reckless of life or of limb As Abdulla Bulbul Ameer. When they wanted a man to encourage the van Or to harass the foe in the rear Or to take a redoubt they would always send out For Abdulla Bulbul Ameer. There are heroes in plenty, and well known to fame In the ranks that were led by the Czar, But the bravest of all was a man by the name Of Ivan Potschjinski Skidar. He could imitate Toole, play Euchre and Pool And perform on the Spanish guitar. In fact quite the cream of the Muscovite team Was Ivan Potschjinski Skidar. One morning the Russian had shouldered his gun And assumed his most truculent sneer And was walking down town when he happened to run Into Abdulla Bulbul Ameer. “Young man,” says Bulbul, “can your life be so dull That you’re anxious to end your career?— For, infidel, know—you have trod on the toe Of Abdulla Bulbul Ameer.” “Take your ultimate look upon sunshine and brook, Make your latest remarks on the war; Which I mean to imply you’re going to die, Mr. Count Cask-o-whisky Cigar.” Said the Russian, “My friend, my remarks in the end Would avail you but little, I fear, For you’ll never survive to repeat them alive, Mr. Abdulla Bulbul Ameer.” Then the bold Mameluke drew his trusty chiboque And shouted “Il Allah Akbar” And being intent upon slaughter, he went For Ivan Potschjinski Skidar. But just as his knife had abstracted his life (In fact he was shouting “Huzza!”) He felt himself struck by that subtle Calmuck, Count Ivan Potschjinski Skidar. The Consul drove up in his red-crested fly To give the survivor a cheer, He arrived just in time to exchange a goodbye With Abdulla Bulbul Ameer. And Skobeleff, Gourko and Gorsechekoff too Drove up on the Emperor’s car But all they could do was cry “och-whilliloo!” With… Read more »
A more modern version of the song:
Turkey is like that friend you have with a really cool beach house but is a huge dick, hits on your woman and gave your sister herpes.
He may have a great location for parties but it’s time to throw that relationship the f away.
^^^^THIS^^^^
That rat bastard “friend” double crossed us when he refused to let the 4th ID cross Turkish soil and airspace for the invasion of Iraq.
If you really want to piss off Erdogan offer to sell the Kurds a dozen F-35s and bring over a dozen pilots for training ASAP.
I like the way you think, Fab.
I’m cool with that and I’m SURE that we pissed him off by selling some F-35’s to the Israelis!