Intel: US leans on Turkey despite tensions
The top US military commander in Europe told Congress today that Turkey remains a key ally despite the Donald Trump administration’s decision to boot the NATO partner from the F-35 program after it took delivery of the Russian S-400 air defense system last summer.
![NATO-DEFENCE/ Turkey's Defence Minister Hulusi Akar and Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) U.S. Air Force General Tod Wolters attend a NATO Defence Ministers meeting in Brussels, Belgium June 26, 2019. REUTERS/Francois Walschaerts - RC153052BAD0](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/almpics/2018/02/RTS2JRIE.jpg/RTS2JRIE.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=iwImktQR)
The top US military commander in Europe told Congress today that Turkey remains a key ally despite the Donald Trump administration’s decision to boot the NATO partner from the F-35 program after it took delivery of the Russian S-400 air defense system last summer.
The exchange: Pressed by Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott in a posture hearing Tuesday, the dual-hatted NATO supreme allied commander and US European Command chief Gen. Tod Wolters said that “Turkey remains a very reliable ally” more than seven months after receiving its first S-400 batteries.