Congress moves to block sale of F-35s to Turkey

The conflict between the United States and NATO member Turkey has intensified with Congress advancing a bill that would ban delivery of the fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets to Turkey.

House and Senate conferees included the ban in the final version of the Pentagon's budget blueprint, and the Washington Times reported it marks "a significant change in Turkish participation" in the program.

In the bill, lawmakers demand the release of American pastor Andrew Brunson as well as any other "U.S. citizens wrongfully or unlawfully detained in Turkey."

Brunson was arrested a year and a half ago, and months later was accused of espionage. Supporters charge that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose caliphate aspirations have become more evident over the years, is using Brunson as a pawn to force the return Fethullah Gulen, his arch-political foe, who is living in the United States. President Trump has called on Turkey to release the pastor.

The Times said the F-35 program itself has been a "geopolitical pawn between Washington and Ankara, with congressional lawmakers looking to pressure Turkey over its increased military ties to Russia."

"We want to make sure the systems acquired by our allies remain supportive of our [other] allies," said Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Tina Kaidanow at the time. "We want them to understand the real, serious downsides of making this acquisition from the Russians."

The House is expected to vote on the final National Defense Authorization Act this week and the Senate in August.

The conflict between the U.S. and Turkey has included American allies.

The U.K.'s Daily Star reports Erdogan has called Israel the "most Zionist, racist and fascist country."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has responded with a statement that Turkey is a "dark dictatorship" under Erdogan.

The Turkish president's complaints stemmed from a law adopted in Israel that "legally enshrines Israel's Jewish character, makes Hebrew the only official language, downgrading Arabic, and says only Jewish people have a right to national self-determination in Israel."

Further, Reuters reported Netanyahu charged Turkey was "massacring the Syrians and the Kurds and is jailing thousands of his own people."

"This great democrat's criticism of the nation state law is the greatest compliment it could be paid," he said.

WND reported just days ago when Turkey, after yet another court hearing in Brunson's case, ordered the pastor back to jail to await yet another hearing months away.

"The government of Turkey continues to make a mockery of justice in its treatment of Pastor Brunson," Kristina Arriaga, the vice chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, an independent monitor of religious persecution established by Congress, said at the time.

His case next is to be heard Oct. 12.

He's been "unjustly detained," the commission said, since Oct. 7, 2016, on "false terrorism and espionage related charges."

Arriaga attended the most recent hearings.

"I was hoping to see the judge order his complete release and put an end to the miscarriage of justice that Pastor Brunson’s entire case represents. Turkish authorities still have not provided one good reason for depriving Pastor Brunson of his liberties. The Trump administration and the Congress should continue to apply pressure, including using targeted sanctions against officials connected to this case, until Pastor Brunson is released."

WND reported earlier the Senate was looking at blocking the sale of F-35 fighters to Turkey if the Muslim-majority nation continues to refuse to cooperate.