Saturday, January 5, 2013

Risk with Turkey

So if the U.S. Senate is worried about Turkey having old frigates, how can they not worry about the proposal for 100 allegedly advanced F-35s?

Despite the best efforts of Ankara’s allies in Washington during the final hours of the Congressional session, the U.S. Senate refused to act Wednesday on a free give-away of advanced American naval vessels to Turkey. Earlier this week, the House had approved the controversial measure, following a contentious debate, reported the Armenian National Committee of America.

“We join with our Greek American friends in thanking Congressmen Engel, Sherman, Bilirakis, and Sarbanes for opposing this controversial measure giving away two guided missile frigates to an increasingly arrogant and antagonistic Turkey, and welcome the Senate’s decision to block efforts to ‘fast-track’ passage of this controversial measure in the final hours of the 112th Congress,” said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. “This most recent setback for Turkey reflects the growing bipartisan understanding on both sides of Capitol Hill about the real price America is paying for Turkey’s growing hostility to U.S. interests and allies. Ankara’s failure is yet another signal that the era of Turkey’s having a blank-check in Washington is over.”

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Advanced?
Missiles,what missiles?

Anonymous said...

Turkey should instead receive the LCS.

As soon as possible!

Anonymous said...

Those congressmen are clowns for taking this position and are a sellout to US's national interests and her international relations. They wish only to divide US's strategic relations and partnerships so that their personal interests, apparent ethnic based allegiances and future fund raising are satisfied.

Cheap conflict of interests.

Let's hope Turkish govt side sees through this minor political bump in the road and forgives the situation -- not make more havoc over it than needed.

And I laughed too when I read that part that Anon #1 noted... "Advanced ship"? The thing is how old and it has how many missiles? 0?

If so advanced, then perhaps the USN should reconstitute them and recommission for very cheap!

DoD should step in and rebuke said Congressmen. Respects.

S O said...

1970's vintage, nothing is advanced about them by modern standards. Good for patrolling and training only.

OHPs were usually armed with harpoons and Standard SM-1MR, but I doubt the missiles used on the OHPs are still within their shelf life, particularly the SM-1s.

Turkey has a very central geostrategic position; I they can make much better use of air power than of sea power.

Anonymous said...

Apart from what Australia I'd with them,eh.

Anonymous said...

"did" with them

Anonymous said...

Turkey has not the money for 100 F-35. Turkish State Near arms industry gets accordingly for the 100 F-35 large labor shares. That is the reason why Turkey want to buy so many F-35.

INCOMING!!!!!!! said...

The Thanks Giving Bird has been awaiting going ChiComm for 100 years now. Vienna gates might be going down.

What don't you lot get?

Anonymous said...

Don't get what you are talking about