US Senate blocks sale of fighter jets to Ankara

NEW YORK: US Senators have voted to block the sale of F-35s to Turkey, slamming their Nato ally for plans to buy Russian S-400 missile batteries. Ankara warned of “an alternative” should the deal be called off.

The first of the 100 US-made F-35 fighter jets were to be delivered to Turkey on June 21 but now the whole deal might be off as the US Senators voted to kill the sale. The bill, which is yet to be approved by President Donald Trump, passed the Senate floor on Monday, with 85 votes in favor and 10 against.

Lawmakers chose to remove Turkey from the F-35 programme, citing two reasons - the first is Turkey’s plans to purchase S-400 surface-to-air missile batteries from Russia. The adopted bill states that such a deal “is sanctionable under current United States law.”