Small Wars Journal

U.S.-Turkey Alliance in Downward Spiral as Congress Mulls Sanctions

Wed, 10/30/2019 - 6:15pm

U.S.-Turkey Alliance in Downward Spiral as Congress Mulls Sanctions by Joe Gould – Defense News

Frayed relations between NATO allies Turkey and the U.S. were on full display Wednesday as Turkey condemned two resolutions passed by the U.S. House, one which would bar most U.S. weapons sales to Turkey.

U.S. lawmakers said Wednesday that U.S.-Turkey ties, strained over the Turkish attacks on America’s Kurdish allies against the Islamic State, had been going downhill for months over Turkey’s growing relationship with Russia. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s agreement to buy the Russian-made S-400 air defense system, which triggered its suspension from the F-35 fighter jet program in July, was the tipping point.

President Donald Trump this week thanked Turkey for its role in the operation that killed the head of the Islamic State, and has held open an invitation for Erdogan to visit Washington. But the goodwill in the White House has not translated to Capitol Hill…

Read on.