Jets Lag During Push for Pastor's Release
F-35 fighter |
When the latest Joint Strike Fighters rolled off the assembly line at Lockheed Martin, at least 100 of them were earmarked for Turkey, part of what would normally be a routine sale to a NATO-allied country. But the shipment is on hold, at least for now, thanks to Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.H.). The unlikely duo is trying to force Turkey's hand in the case of American Pastor Andrew Brunson, who's been held under bogus charges since last October.
If the government refuses to release him, a vast majority of the Senate (66 members, to be exact), will take "measures" to ensure that "the government of Turkey respects the right of law-abiding American citizens to travel to, reside in, and work in Turkey without fear of persecution." President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was just reelected, "has continued down a path of reckless governance and disregard for the rule of law," Senator James Lankford (R-Okla.) insisted. "Individual freedoms have been increasingly diminished as Erdogan consolidates power for himself, and Turkey's strategic decisions regrettably fall more and more out of line with, and at times in contrast to, U.S. interests."
Their biggest weapon for blocking the sale is the National Defense Authorization Act, which the Senate approved last week. In an amendment added by Shaheen and Tillis, the Senate version bars the Pentagon from moving the jets until Pastor Brunson is set free. The House version of the bill also puts a hold on the fighters, but under different terms. In the upper chamber's draft, the Trump administration would have to certify that Turkey "is not threatening NATO," a process that could take months. The difference will be worked out in a House and Senate conference committee.
For Shaheen, the decision was a difficult one. "It is with regret that our relationship with Turkey has reached a point where we must consider severing defense and business ties in order to free American hostages... Erdogan and his government must abide by the rule of law within his own country... and release Pastor Andrew Brunson... Until that occurs, I'll continue to join with Senators Lankford and Tillis to call for punitive action."
At a time when it's difficult to find common ground in the Senate, we're encouraged to see both parties making religious liberty a priority. Let's hope they can continue working together to bring an end to the suffering -- not just of persecuted Americans, but of all men and women of faith around the world.
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Tony Perkins is President of the Family Research Council . This article was on Tony Perkin's Washington Update and written with the aid of FRC senior writers.
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