Lankford, Van Hollen Urge Immediate Action Following New Reports of Turkey Testing Russian S-400 Anti-Aircraft System

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) today released the following statement regarding new reports that Turkey has tested its Russian-made S-400 anti-aircraft missile system:

“Turkey’s reported testing of the Russian S-400 is unacceptable. The NATO partnership was created to deter Russian aggression in the region, so it is incompatible for any NATO member state to also deploy Russian weapons systems. The US has made clear that Turkey’s actions put US national security and the security of our NATO allies at risk. Any failure to act decisively will further undermine our credibility. We should act immediately to sanction Turkey and accelerate the removal of Turkey from the F-35 supply chain—as is required under US law. We will continue to press this Administration for details on Turkey’s use of the S-400, and we urge them to hold Turkey accountable at once.”

Turkey’s use of the S-400 could undermine US national security, allowing Russia a backdoor to spy on NATO allies. Lankford and Van Hollen recently sent a bipartisan letter urging Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to sanction Turkey for the initial purchase of the S-400, as required under the Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). Additionally, the letter asks for specific information on Turkey’s use of the S-400, including whether Turkey has integrated the Link 16, NATO’s tactical data link, into the S-400 system, which would further endanger the security of NATO operations.

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