The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) is calling for CAATSA sanctions to be maintained and for Turkey not to rejoin the F-35 fighter program in a letter sent to Donald Trump.

In the letter, AHI expresses its firm opposition to Ankara‘s return to the F-35 program even if the neighboring country chooses to abandon the Russian S-400 system, the acquisition of which had led to the triggering of the CAATSA sanctions.

Following President Trump’s phone call with Tayyip Erdogan, a Fox News report claimed that the U.S. government is working on a compromise on the Russian S-400 issue. Some of the possible scenarios that have been heard relate to partial dismantling of the system or even transferring it to a US military base inside Turkey.

However, AHI places the F-35 issue on a broader basis, explaining in detail Turkey’s anti-alliance and destabilizing behavior which it argues is damaging to US interests. “Turkey should remove the S-400 system not to gain negotiating leverage from the United States, but because this is its obligation to the US and NATO. The US cannot reward Turkey for addressing a problem it created,” the AHI letter stressed.

Read the American Hellenic Institute Letter HERE