Transfer of F35s to Turkey Poses Clear and Present Danger

July 20th is a dark day of commemoration of Turkey’s illegal invasion of our ally, Cyprus.  52 years ago, on the pretext of protecting a Turkish minority, Turkey utilizing American made arms in violation of American and International law, invaded the Republic of Cyprus and killed more than 5,000 innocent people, executed prisoners including five American citizens and over one third of the Island remains illegally occupied.
 
In light of the fact that America is considering the transfer of F35 fighter jets to Turkey thus increasing the exposure of our allies, Greece and Cyprus, to Turkey’s threats and illegal ambitions, our community is prepared to notify all US Senators and members of the House of Representatives about the dangers of such a transfer of F35s and other military technology.
 
The attached letter is being sent to Legislative Assistants and we urge all organizations to activate a campaign against such transfers.

Subject: The F-35 Vote
  
Dear Senator/Member,
  
Your Greek American constituents want you to know that a vote for F-35s for Turkey condones and encourages dangers to America listed below, that you normally oppose.
  
  • “Trump said that Erdogan (Turkey’s President) considered joining Iran’s side” in the current war. (Rubin)
     
  • “In 2010, the Turkish Air Force held secret wargames with (the military wing of the Chinese Communist Party) the People’s Liberation Army Air Force.” (Rubin)
     
  • “On March 9, 2026, Turkey deployed six F-16s to occupied northern Cyprus …if Turkey no longer respects end-use agreements with the US, then those F-35s could end up anywhere, in Pakistan, China or even Iran.”  (Rubin)
     
  • On April 12, 2026, Erdogan said, “Just as we entered Libya and Karabakh (with drones, F-16s and mercenaries), we can enter Israel. There is no reason not to do it.” (Israel Hayom) Former Israeli Prime Minister Bennett warned Turkey “wants to encircle Israel.” (MSN)
     
  • Several sources confirm Turkey is a leading supporter of Hamas: 
  • “Should an ally of Hamas have America’s most advanced fighter jet?” (Perry) 
  • “Erdogan has allowed Hamas to make Istanbul its de facto headquarters.” (Rubin)
     
  • “After Oct. 7, 2023…Erdogan embraced Hamas…providing them with Turkish passports and safe haven in Turkey…when (one of the Hamas leaders was killed) Erdogan declared a National Day of Mourning and ordered flags at half-mast.” (Bowman)
  • “(Turkish) Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan recently called Israel, ‘a burden that humanity can no longer bear’ and ‘a problem for the whole world.’” (Perry)
     
  • “Countries receive it (an F-35) because Washington believes they will safeguard its technology and not pass it on to Russia. Turkey broke that trust when it bought the S-400s (from Russia).” (Perry)
     
  • “Can we trust Erdogan to ensure sensitive information related to the F-35 does not find its way to Moscow, Beijing, Tehran, and Pyongyang?” (Perry)
     
  • “Turkey’s acquisition of the F-35 could result in America’s enemies acquiring information about the fighter jet, which could be used to kill Americans and our allies in future conflicts.” (Bowman)
     
  • “The F-35, one of the most advanced fighter aircraft in the world, boasts sophisticated capabilities and sensors that make it central to American security and any future US conflict with China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea.” (Bowman)
     
  • “A leader (Erdogan) who has made it clear for years, in word and in deed, that he is no friend of the West.” (National Review editors)
     
  • “Ankara’s commercial relations with Moscow increased following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and Turkey has refused to participate in the sanctions.” (National Review editors)  
Turkey’s Commitments to the United States Regarding Cyprus—Turkey committed to: 
  • “Use US military equipment for defensive purposes only. Then they used our arms to attack their closest Western World country — Cyprus.” (Christopher)  
     
  • “Use US arms in Cyprus for peacekeeping.  Then they executed and dumped into pits five Americans and 1,500 Cypriots (children, women and men) and militarily occupied over 1/3rd of the country.” (Christopher) 
     
  • “Use lifting the US arms embargo to ‘save face’ so they could withdraw troops from Cyprus.  Then they instead flooded the 116,000 Western World Turkish Cypriots with 220,000 Eastern World Turks, thus violating their commitment to America as well as Article 49(6) of the Fourth Geneva Convention.” (Christopher)
Turkey’s Current Major Threats Against America’s Ally Greece:
  • Erdogan has invoked his warning that Turkey “may come suddenly one night” (Politico) — language Greek officials and Western analysts interpret as a military threat against Greece.  It is a deliberate echo of the rhetoric preceding Turkey’s 1974 invasion of Cyprus, illegally with American arms.
     
  • Erdogan has revived his “Blue Homeland doctrine” (Washington Post), asserting false Turkish maritime claims that overlap Greek and Cypriot waters and falsely call into question Greek islands and Cyprus’s offshore drilling rights.
     
  • A positive vote for the F-35s would strip Greece of one of the few decisive military advantages it currently holds over its far larger neighbor. It makes likely the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ 2026 headline “Turkey’s Maritime Strategy Heightens the Risk of a New Eastern Mediterranean Crisis”.
  •  
Sincerely,  
 
Philip Christopher
President
International Coordinating Committee 
Justice for Cyprus
  
Andrew E. Manatos
President 
Coordinated Effort of Hellenes     
   
Sources:
  
1.     Philip Christopher, Pres, International Coordinating Committee “Justice for Cyprus” 
2.     Michael Rubin (the Middle East Forum/ American Enterprise Institute) 
3.     Dan Perry (formerly of Associated Press/Jerusalem Post)
4.     National Review Editors (7/7/2026)