releases: https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/the-latest-lankford-successful-in-call-for-sanctions-on-turkey
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/the-latest-lankford-successful-in-call-for-sanctions-on-turkey | THE LATEST: Lankford Successful in Call for Sanctions on Turkey | 2020-12-14 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Republican | House | OK | James Lankford | L000575 | www.lankford.senate.gov | legacy | 12.14.20 THE LATEST: Lankford Successful in Call for Sanctions on Turkey WASHINGTON, DC- Senator James Lankford(R-OK) today applauded a move by President Trump at therecommendation of Secretary of State Mike Pompeoand through the US Department of Treasurytoimpose Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) sanctionsagainst Turkey for the procurement of the Russian S-400 missile system. This is absolutely the right first stepin the right direction, said Lankford. Turkey is a NATO ally but is not behaving like one. They continue to compromise our national security by engaging with Russia.Today's action further demonstrates to President Erdogan that what they're doing is unacceptable. I appreciate the Administration's engagement with Congress to assess the available diplomatic options for addressing Turkey's recalcitrance. Now that we have taken this important step, I hope Turkey will carefully consider their next movehopefully back toward their friends in the US. The United States should also impose targeted sanctions on officials and entities responsible for the purchase and use of the S-400 if Turkey does not reverse course. Lankford firstcalled for targeted sanctionson Turkish officials in an appropriations bill in 2018 and days laterintroduced a bill to prevent the transfer of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighteraircraft to Turkey. Hesecured his plan to remove Turkey from participationin the F-35 program in the initial Fiscal Year 2019(FY19)National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Congress's annual defense bill. In 2019,Lankford led a group of his colleagues to introduce a billthat would prohibit the transfer of the F-35 aircraft to Turkey if they accepted delivery of Russia's S-400 air defense system, which would compromise US technologyfor Turkey to ownboth. After the bill was introduced,the Pentagon announced it would suspend deliveries of the F-35to Turkey. Lankford'sproposal to prohibit the transfer of the F-35 aircraft to Turkey was includedin the annualdefense bill for Fiscal Year 2020. He spoke on the Senate floor in 2019 in support of the FY20 NDAA,specifically addressing the need for the US to prevent the transfer of the F-35to Turkey if they have the S-400 system sitting right next to it. Lankfordlater supported the FY20 NDAA, which played a key role to address the issues with transferring the F-35 to Turkey. Turkeymoved forward to accept the Russian Air Defense System,towhich Lankford respondedwith disappointment. After multiple warnings to Turkey,Lankford continued to push Administration officialson the need to ensure the F-35 technology was not transferred to the nation, includingpushing the head of DOD when they delayedremovingTurkey from contributing tothe F-35supply chain.Following reports of Turkey's use of the S-400 in October 2020, Lankfordurgedthe Administration to impose CAATSA sanctions as required by law. Lankford recentlypenned an op-ed inThe Wall Street Journalto express his support for the use of CAATSA sanctions as a vital tool in the diplomatic arsenal to press Turkey on their engagement with Russia. ### Print Email Tweet Next Article Previous Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |